


If It's Alien

by merlin07



Category: David Tennant - Fandom
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-09
Updated: 2016-10-09
Packaged: 2018-08-20 10:18:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 28,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8245531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merlin07/pseuds/merlin07





	1. Chapter 1

As many times as Pete had been in the cell block he had always been on the outside looking in. Now as he examined the stained and pitted safety glass he understood why some of the creatures they had captured and contained had howled in despair as the door locked shut.

He paced the small cell, his anger still rising. 'How dare they?' kept repeating in his mind. When he and Jax had gotten the all clear from Violet, they had gratefully left the bunker they had been forced to hide in, and he went back to running Torchwood.

Or so he had thought.

Little did he know that there were forces waiting, watching patiently for a moment of vulnerability to pounce. And him being away for a few days was all that was needed.

At least Jax was spared, he sighed. They snatched him, throwing him into the cells without a word but she was deemed 'not important' and let go. He smiled remembering her reaction to that proclamation. Her voice reaching heights that would shatter glass and cause deafness in dogs she gave them a piece of her mind. Going so red in the process that even the roots of her bleached blonde hair seemed momentarily ginger.

Maybe they let her go to save their hearing; he shook his head with a laugh. God knows the woman could carry on. It was funny when it was directed at someone else, her barrage of words stunning her victims like they were mice staring into the eyes of a deadly viper.

But now, the little guttersnipe, the man who Pete found out he had held a gun to his daughter and her husband. The man who had once been Violet’s boss, the man who had pleaded with him to not feed him retcon and abandon in the streets like the garbage he was, now rose up against him!

How he had listened to the man begging that he had a family, two young children that counted on him and promised, no, swore he had learned his lesson and it was a momentary lapse of judgement.

And Pete believed him! ‘How stupid was that?’ he fumed, pacing the cell his fists clenched.

When he had arrived back at Torchwood after his absence he almost knew something was wrong. The receptionist refused to look him in the eye. Usually she was a sweet girl, flirty but not outrageous, friendly. He put it down to a bad case of the Mondays and made his way to his office.

He recalled the shock at seeing the upstart sitting in his chair, feet up on Pete’s desk, smoking one of Pete’s cigars, as if he belonged there. Pete was about to throw the man out by the scruff of his greasy neck when he felt a cold metal object pressed to his temple. Then cuffs were snapped around his wrists and he was dragged away Jax screaming at the traitors as they treated him like a common criminal.

Still, he stopped pacing, Jax would somehow contact Violet, and she and that not-quite human man she married would figure a way out of this mess. He smiled softly thinking of the woman he thought of as his daughter. He couldn’t be more proud of her if she were truly his biological offspring, in a way she was, but still, she was a force to be reckoned with and she would be sure they would rue the day they crossed Pete!

In the meanwhile, he wasn’t going to sit back like some fairy tale damsel in distress. He was a man of action! But, looking at the thick safety glass and knowing what he did about the containment process, the cell was not going to be easy to escape from, the locks were too strong.

How had he been so stupid as to trust the sneaky little bastard? How had he missed the malice in his eyes when he spoke to him, which since he had been busted down to cataloguing the archives, wasn’t all that often.

Pete checked his pockets one more time, hoping that when he was searched and everything of use removed that they had missed something. Sadly the training he had insisted that they all take had sunk in. He had a dull pencil, pocket lint and his reading glasses. They had even taken his cigarettes, not that they would have left him a lighter but still it would have been something he could have done with his hands.

Yes, he was concerned for himself, who wouldn’t be? But he was more worried about his family. Violet was his world, even though he had only known her for a handful of years but she had his heart. Sometimes he thought that the only reason he put up with Jax and her belly aching was because of his love of being Violet’s father.

He even accepted her husband into the family even though sometimes the half human half alien man made him uneasy. Truth be told he was more alien than anyone cared to admit. Sometimes Pete would catch those dark eyes watching him, examining him like he was a choice specimen on a slide, but then he’d lower the veil and go back to looking like a normal human being.

Even though Pete was painfully aware he wasn’t.

Still, he was a decent man, was good to Violet and that’s all the mattered right? Although grandchildren would be nice, the baby they lost, the boy, was still a tender subject. Pete thought it was because of biology of the child’s father; after all maybe he was not completely compatible. Jax blamed it on Violet not taking off from work and being on her feet until the last possible moment. Either way it was one of the saddest days of his new life.

Suddenly exhausted Pete sat on the edge of the bare cot, all fight gone out of him. Not as that if that rat bastard got within reach he wouldn’t summon the strength to cheerfully snap the man’s neck.

But for now it was best to conserve energy, he lay back on the cot and closed his eyes giving the appearance to the cameras monitoring him that he had gone to sleep, even though his mind was going at a mile a minute, trying to think his way out of this mess.


	2. Chapter 2

"Why couldn't you have just dropped them off then dropped the dark beauty and the mongrel off on their Earth instead of this needless flying about?" The Master grumbled as The Doctor pointed the TARDIS at the alternate Earth.

"You do realise," David interjected, "that I'm sitting right here and I can hear you."

The Master was about to make a remark regarding mongrels having dog-like hearing when The Doctor cut him off, "pilot's choice," he explained with a shrug, "besides I wasn't sure who was staying and who was going..."

The other Time Lord grumbled something about never getting a moment's peace when the other two occupants of the time capsule reappeared. Just by looking at him it was almost impossible for David to tell that John had been at death's door mere hours before. His colour was completely returned and the weakness he had just after coming back to life was completely gone.

"Now that we're all here," David started, "can someone please tell me what's going on?"

John and Violet exchanged a look then Violet stepped forward, "my step dad, Pete, is the head of this Earth's version of Torchwood. And my mum called and said there's been a coup d'état. She couldn't go into much detail because she thinks her phone has been tapped. He's been held in the cells of the very organisation he runs."

"If I had my way you'd all be locked up," The Master mumbled.

"I'd watch that, mate," Violet hissed getting in very close to the Time Lord, grabbing his lapels in her fists, "you're just the sort of creature they'd love to get their dissecting knives into."

"I'd like to see them try it! Besides I'm pretty sure they'd love to get a half breed to compare and contrast with, or a dilute mix..." with a mirthless laugh he pointed at David, “if I am to be dissected I'm not doing this alone!"

"No one will be dissecting anyone!" The Doctor shouted, making everyone stop and stare at him. He took a deep breath, "this is going to be potentially sticky for most of us. Obviously this Torchwood is more dangerous than the one run by Jack, he is more, um sympathetic to our situation. If we stick together we have a better chance of making it out of this in one piece.." he stopped and counted out on his fingers, "OK five pieces, because we're five different...well you know what I'm saying!"

"That's assuming a lot," The Master snorted.

"I know what you mean, and you're right, if we fight amongst ourselves it'll be easier to divide and conquer," David offered, "and since I really don't relish getting dissected any more than you do, let's give it a shot."

John and Violet smiled at him, which was in sharp contrast to The Master's scowl but no one argued that his logic wasn’t sound. The Doctor looked relieved to have someone agree with him and patted the actor on the back with a grin.

"Now then, tell me everything you know, let's start with the cells," he prompted as he turned towards Violet.

The room was silent until she had finished speaking. The Master was the first to speak, "you mean that bureaucratic moron, the one who didn't know an ice gun from a hole in the ground is the one who overthrew your step father?"

Violet nodded, "Pete took pity on him. Normally they would have slipped him an amnesia pill and set him in a strange town, but he appealed to Pete's compassion."

"Which is why I have none," The Master laughed, "among other reasons, but really how embarrassing to have a mere underling get the better of you."

"In a way this is your fault," The Doctor added.

"Wait, what? How in Rassilon's name is this my fault?"

"If you hadn't brought the vampires here to hunt the meta...John, then Pete wouldn't have gone into hiding," the thin Time Lord explained.

"They were never after him, just the half breed," The Master countered.

"We didn't know that," Violet replied, "and his name is John. Both of you," she gestured at the Time Lords, "better stop calling him anything other than by his name."

"Or what?" The Master challenged.

"So much for working together," David sighed, "instead of standing around here arguing couldn't we be doing something a bit more constructive?"

"Oh like charging into the depths of a place that would gladly turn you into a science experiment to save someone you've never met?" The Master replied, "you can if you wish but count me out!"


	3. Chapter 3

The TARDIS landed but everyone was still arguing and it was getting so loud that it was starting to hurt David's ears. He walked to the door, "anyone else coming?" he called out but was not heard over the din, “guess not then…” with that he stepped outside.

The moment he cleared the doors he was set upon by a small woman with bleached blonde hair. She shoved him up against the TARDIS using her substantial weight to hold him there and started yelling at him, “oh there you are! I told her you was trouble from the beginning but no she doesn’t listen to her mum does she? Instead she runs off with you to god knows where and then look what happens? Spending time in a dank cellar hiding from whatever you managed to drag into our lives this time and then Pete gets tossed in jail and you just come sauntering back like nothing’s happened!”

When she paused for a breath David tried to ask her who she was but he only got “excuse me?” out before she continued.

“Excuse you? There is no excuse for you! We should have locked you up like the freak show you are instead of letting you loose on the world! But no Violet just had to make you her pet project! Well I’m tired of this and unless you get off your skinny arse and do something constructive for once I’m going to see to it that you spend the rest of your days on display in a zoo somewhere!” she poked her fingers into his chest, “so what are you going to do about this?”

He was saved from having to answer her when John stepped out of the time capsule, holding Violet’s hand. The woman stumbled back with a squeak, her eyes wide. She looked at David then back at John, “what the hell?” she gasped.

“I see you’ve met the mother-in-law,” John laughed at the stunned look on David’s face and having heard Jackie’s voice knew he had gotten the chewing out meant for him.

“My sympathies,” David sighed, rubbing his chest where the woman had repeatedly stabbed at him with her pointy fingernails.

“Oi!” she snapped at him, “someone better tell me why there are two of you, and why one of you talks funny!”

“That’s me, I’m guessing,” the actor shook his head, “I ‘talk funny’ because I’m Scottish.”

“Just who are you?”

Violet had been silent the whole time, trying to figure out how best to explain David to her mother. She so wanted to tell her the truth but caught the warning glance from John out of the corner of her eye, “you know how there was a Pete on our Earth and one here?” she started, not quite sure if she could lie convincingly enough to pull this off.

“Yeah, so he’s another John?”

“As far as you know,” John nodded, “but his name is David. David this is Jackie aka ‘Jax’. Now what was this about me being a freak show?”

Jackie didn’t take her eyes off of David, examining him like a choice cut of meat at the butchers, a thought that made the actor shudder a bit thinking of the vampires.

“You know you are,” she replied to John.

Violet scowled, “that’s enough, just stop it mum!”

“It’s OK, I’m used to it,” John laughed.

It was obvious Jackie was about to launch into him next but The Doctor emerged from the TARDIS with a clearly reluctant Master in tow, “hi Jackie,” he smiled at her.

“Don’t tell me there’s two of you now?” she snapped at him.

“Rassilon forbid!” The Master replied in mock horror, “one is enough!”

“No doubt!” Jackie agreed.

“Anyway!” The Doctor cut in, “I think we should…”

“If you’re an alternate John why do you go by a different name?” Jackie poked David in the chest again, getting up on her tip toes to look him in the eye.

“I…ah…” he stammered, looking pleadingly at the thin Time Lord for help.

“Long story!” The Doctor jumped in.

“I’ve got time,” The Master offered with a wide smile on his face evidently amused at the goings on.

“Shouldn’t we be doing something about Pete?” Violet asked.

At that Jackie backed off and took a deep shaky breath, tears coming to her eyes, “they took him away like he was nobody. They have spies in our house now it was only cos I pretended to have to go to the loo that I was able to give ‘em the slip. Climbed out the window didn’t I?”

“Where is he now?” The Doctor prompted.

Jackie waved her hands, “in the cells!” she sobbed. Violet enfolded her in a hug, patting her on the back soothingly.

John watched them for a few moment before speaking up, “we can get in to Torchwood, no problem. It’s just a matter of going in through the back way, the secret tunnels. But the real question is; will we be able to get back out again?”


	4. Chapter 4

Pete had a visitor. Given the person standing outside the thick glass was emboldened by the knowledge that Pete couldn’t get to him and was gloating about this triumph, he would rather have sat on his own.

The man smiled oily at Pete, “it would seem the cavalry hasn’t shown up yet,” and then pretending to think about it, he amended, “or you aren’t worth the effort.”

“Believe me when they do come to get me you will regret it,” Pete hissed, “for every minute I’m locked away in here, you will pay for in memories lost. I have some retcon with your name on it.”

“There’s an idea!” the man chuckled, “maybe a bit of retcon could find its way into one of your meals. If we decide to feed you, that is. Something to consider, at least.”

“Why are you doing this?” Pete asked.

“You are correct you should have dealt with me when you had the chance. But hindsight is 20/20. I’ve been watching you. You are a hypocrite. You claim to want to protect us against the alien threat and yet you have one, in your very family. Married to your daughter! How can you sleep nights knowing this thing is touching her? Polluting her with his filth?” the man shuddered, then with visible effort got himself back under control, “yet when I tried to ask her out you both laughed at me!”

“All this is about Violet rejecting you?” Pete shot back, incredulously, “let me clue you in, Kevin, you’re a repulsive snail and a married one at that. She rejected you because she has a working brain.”

Kevin’s eyes narrowed, “this is not about her, this is about you. You are in alliance with the very danger you swore to protect us against. Therefore you are also a danger. I am doing my job.”

“There are proper channels for complaints, you should file them with the board and…”

The man waved him off, “and since you and half your family sit on the board, how well do you think that would have gone? No, I did what was necessary, for the good of all of Earth. I see myself getting a Presidential honour for this.”

“She’s a family friend,” Pete informed him, “she’s known us for years there is no way she’ll buy your lies!”

“But I’m not lying,” Kevin leaned in close to the glass, “you cannot deny the fact that you have harboured an alien, an unregistered, unmonitored alien. He’s never been studied, never been tested, even you don’t know what he’s capable of, and we both know that.”

“He’s a good man,” Pete sighed, “he would never harm…”

“He’s not a man!” Kevin yelled, his face red, “and once we have him here, I’m assuming that some sort of hair brained scheme to bust you out is in the works, we’ll get him sorted out, catalogued and studied just like our other alien specimens, and your deception will be exposed!” with that he turned and strode away.

Watching Kevin’s retreating form Pete’s heart sank. Up until now he had wished with all his heart that Violet would come storming in to rescue him, guns blazing, kicking arse and taking names, with John at her side. Now he prayed they’d stay away, far far away, and keep themselves safe!

\------

Stepping back into the TARDIS The Doctor pulled the monitor in close and slipped on his glasses. A few quick key strokes later and he had hacked into Torchwood’s mainframe computer. Floor plans, and wiring diagrams whizzed past on the screen as his dark eyes took it all in memorising each detail at a speed that most humans would find dizzying.

“Got it!” he called out through the open doors. John was the first to join him, peering over the Time Lord’s shoulder.

“That’s the CCTV from the cells,” The Doctor tapped the screen, “and just there, that’s Pete.”

John leaned back with a groan, “that’s level twelve. Maximum security. That will be heavily guarded, trip wires, hidden cameras, infra-red the whole ball of wax.”

“But with your knowledge of what to look for, and my ability to get to the plans from here, we’re golden!”

“And the heavily armed guards?” John replied, “do you really think they’ll be impressed by our extra sharp minds? I don’t suppose you have any weapons on board at all, do you?”

“We need nothing more than our brains!” The Doctor protested.

“So you keep saying,” John sighed, “I keep getting the nasty feeling that this isn’t going to be a rescue…”

“You think it’s a trap,” the Time Lord nodded, “and I think you’re probably right. But since we know that we're laughing! Forewarned is forearmed!”

“Any chance of us convincing the others to stay behind while we march into almost certain capture?”

“Very unlikely,” The Doctor laughed, “we just have to keep us and them safe.”

"If it's alien, it's ours!" John rubbed his face with a groan. “If we really planned to stay safe that we’d all pile back into here,” he gestured at the TARDIS’ walls, “and get the hell out of this place.”

“But we won’t. So, let’s talk about the plan!”


	5. Chapter 5

Violet had just succeeded in getting her mum to stop badgering David, for which he was extremely grateful. He was pretty sure he had a bruise from her heavily lacquered nails, but resisted the urge to pull up his shirt to see.

He leaned against the TARDIS watching the two women talk. It wasn’t hard to tell they were mother and daughter, but Violet’s features were a bit softer, more refined. Jackie had obviously spent time on her appearance, but somehow all her efforts made her look like an over grown child playing dress up. An over grown child with massively pointy nails, he winced.

Funny to think that she was his grandmother. Especially when she seemed to be only a handful of years older than he was, but then again having a twenty-four year old mother, that was still hard to get his mind around.

David looked up into two sets of eyes staring back at him expectantly, clearly one of them had asked him a question that he failed to hear, “sorry,” he smiled, “I was off in my own world, could you repeat that?”

Jackie rolled her eyes and jutted out her lower lip, “now I know you’re another John, he never listens to me either!” she groused.

“I was just explaining to Mum how we came to find you,” she looked at him pleadingly, begging him silently to play along, “and she wanted to know if you had any family back home?”

Not sure how much Violet had told Jackie he just nodded. That seemed to be all the answer she needed because she launched into Violet again for abandoning them when they were clearly in danger.

Breathing a sigh of relief that he was no longer the focus of Jackie’s scrutiny David turned to walk back into the TARDIS but found The Master blocking his way.

“Despite her appearance,” the Time Lord gestured at Jackie, “I don’t think she’s overly stupid. Cunning more than book smart. I wouldn’t delude yourself that you are off the hook. She’s obviously not soothed by these lies and will keep digging until she’s satisfied.”

“Why do you care?” David asked.

“I don’t, in fact I find this all delicious,” The Master laughed, “why don’t you just tell her the truth? Then you could be one big happy family.” He clasped his hands under his chin, and batted his eyes, “wouldn't that be all warm and fuzzy?”

“Do you enjoy being a jerk?”

“If you have to ask then you’re thicker than I thought,” the Time Lord replied.

Before David could respond John and The Doctor emerged from the TARDIS.

“How’s it going out here?” The Doctor asked, the tension in the air answering his question before he asked it but he hoped he was wrong.

“I was just telling the mongr…” The Master started then catching John’s glare at that term cleared his throat, “young David here that you should come out and tell the truth. Don’t you think she deserves to know she has a grandson?”

John’s eyes narrowed, “that’s really none of your business!”

“Why is it when I tell a little white lie I am vilified? But you all are telling huge porkers and it’s all right? Talk about your double standards!”

The meta-crisis got in very close to The Master, jaw set in a tight line, hands balled into fists, but The Doctor stepped between them, “I think we have more pressing matters to consider at this particular time.”

John stepped back, taking a deep breath and shaking out the tension as he got his temper back under control, “you’re right, of course,” he admitted, “he just knows what buttons to push.”

“And you let him get to you,” The Doctor countered, “until you learn to reign in your emotions he will keep doing it.”

“Thanks for the lecture,” John waived him off dismissively, “now about those ‘more pressing matters’?”

“Right!” the thin Time Lord pulled out his glasses from one pocket and a crude map from another rolling it out against the side of the TARDIS, “gather ‘round everyone! Time to plot out our plan of attack!”


	6. Chapter 6

"Before this little pep rally commences," The Master piped up, "I don't not recall saying I was going to help you get this 'Pete' whats-it out of Torchwood."

"How can you resist the temptation of watching us march to our almost certain doom?" The Doctor smiled softly.

"Imagine being able to finally get your 'I told you so's' in as we're thrown into the cells ourselves and prepped for what I'm assuming would be horrendous experiments?" John added.

"Not to mention being there to spit on our corpses," David concluded.

The Master's eyes flitted to each man in turn, growing more and more excited as he pictured what they were saying in his mind's eye.

"And of course," Violet chimed in adding the cherry to the top, "since you are so much cleverer than the peons running it now, I'm sure you'd think of a way to escape unscathed."

Even though it appeared to be working, David found the mad glint The Master's eyes, and the way he licked his lips as if savouring a fine sweet very unnerving. The Time Lord was enjoying the prospect of harm coming to them a lot more than he felt comfortable with, and it send a shiver down his spine.

"Promise me if it looks like you are doomed that you'll unlock the TARDIS so I can leave this Rassilon forsaken lump of rock?" The Master asked.

"Don't hold your breath," The Doctor shook his head, then turning back to the map he started to discuss the strategy he and John had thought up.

Halfway through the explanation The Master interrupted, “so if you all get killed I’m stuck here?”

“Are you still obsessing about that?” The Doctor replied, irritated that his fellow Time Lord broke his train of thought.

“Then I guess it’s in your best interest,” David smiled, “to make sure we get out of there alive.”

The Master glared at the actor, “who would have ever thought it would come to this? I ruled planets, solar systems, should have ruled the universe! Now I have to protect three of you ugly, skinny, freckled losers or be stuck on a chunk of minerals that has the dubious title of a planet!”

“Sucks to be you,” John chuckled, “in every way, I would imagine.”

The Doctor bit back a smile at this and tapped the map, “now everyone knows what they are supposed to be doing?”

“You never said about me!” Jackie spoke up.

To be honest, they had forgotten she was even still there. David and John covered their surprise well, The Master just rolled his eyes and Violet had the good grace to blush a bit. But the gold star for failing to cover himself went to The Doctor. His mouth opened slightly, lips trying to form an answer as his eyes clearly gave away the fact that until she had made noise he had completely put her out of his mind.

“Ah…..” he finally pushed sound out of his throat, “I, errr, well…” he stammered.

Jackie clomped over to the thin Time Lord and pushed her ample bosom up against his chest, hands on hips, “you forgot about me!” she bellowed up at him.

He looked over her head at the others, eyes pleading for help. But no one was brave, or foolish enough to step in. Realising he was not going to get any assistance The Doctor thought quickly, “no of course I didn’t. It’s just that you have ah, unique abilities and I had to come up with something most suited to your talents!”

“And that is?” she poked at him with one lacquered nail. David felt a pang of sympathy as the finger jabbed into the Time Lord’s ribs.

“Surveillance!” The Doctor announced, visibly relieved that he had finally thought of something. He pointed to a high spot on the hill overlooking Torchwood, and the trees nearby, “I’ll give you a comm unit and you report the goings and comings to us as we progress. Like more troops or end of shift, that sort of thing!”

“But it’s windy out and it’ll muss my hair,” she whinged.

“Better mussed than getting your head blown off at the neck,” The Master offered.

“And just who are you?” she rounded on him.

As he backed away from her onslaught all eyes turned towards him waiting for an answer, “I’m The Master,” he drew himself up to his full height and boomed out his answer.

“Just what we needed another time man,” she rolled her eyes and turned away from him obviously losing interest.

“Time Lord!” he called after her as she stomped away, “I’m a Time Lord!”

“Whatever,” she waved at him dismissively not bothering to turn back around.


	7. Chapter 7

"I don't want to question your great wisdom," John pulled the thin Time Lord aside, "but Jackie? Surveillance? Even when she's alone she's talking, believe me the woman never shuts up! How exactly is that going to help?"

"Do you want her by your side as you try to sneak into Torchwood unnoticed?" The Doctor replied.

"Not really, but she is sure to get caught!" Then John stopped, finally seeing the big picture, "you want her to be discovered, as a distraction! Oh, that's wicked of you, but I like it!"

The Doctor smiled, "now I obviously can't leave The Master in anyone's care but my own, and so he comes with me. You'll lead Violet and David..." the Time Lord tapped the map again, "through here. Again once we're inside..." he went over the plans again.

John wanted to take the map, roll it up and whack him upside the head. He had already memorised the plan in fact had helped create it, so the Time Lord repeating it one more time just made him want to scream.

"Got it?" The Doctor finally stopped talking.

"I had it the first time and the last four thousand times you've repeated it," John snorted, "time to stop talking and do something!"

The Doctor took John shoulders in his hands, putting his forehead to his almost twin's, "this isn't a game. This is serious; you can't just rush in impulsively. I know you want to go in guns blazing...."

"In case you haven't noticed we do not have guns!" John interrupted trying to pull away.

"But this is a time where patience and caution are needed," the Time Lord continued as if he had not even spoken, "when you took that poison and we thought we had lost you, it was one of the worst moments of my life. If not for Violet or yourself, please be careful for my sake!"

At this the other man stopped trying to get free and met the dark eyes staring into his, "I didn't think you..." he broke off, swallowing hard.

But before he could finish his sentence The Master called out, "why don't you two just kiss and get it over with?"

John's eyes snapped with devilment as he whirled around and pranced over to him, "I'd rather kiss you!" he simpered.

The Master looked horrified at the prospect and took two steps back accidentally treading on Jackie's foot in the process. She yelped and hauled off and slapped him hard.

Watching the scene in front of him David smiled and turned to see how Violet was reacting to it, but couldn't find her anywhere. He ducked back into the TARDIS and called her name, but got no response. Stepping back out he tried to get the attention of The Doctor, but he was too busy holding The Master back as he tried to get at Jackie for slapping him. John was leaning against the TARDIS arms crossed one foot propped up on the side taking it all in.

"Have you seen Violet?" David asked.

John didn't take his eyes from the action, "she's just over..." then he stopped looking to where he had last seen his wife. His casual posture quickly changed over to one of alarm, he looked around the back of the TARDIS and scanned the horizon. Then running inside the time capsule began calling her name.

\------

Violet had heard The Doctor's plans and they did sound sensible but she could see all them charging into Torchwood and getting instantly captured. As she listened she formulated a plan of her own. She was going to gain the compound in a more direct way. Through the front door.

She knew that if she even suggested to the others what she planned to do they would try to stop her, so she watched and waited for the right moment to get away unnoticed. When it presented itself she used the distraction of her Mum slapping The Master as cover for sneaking away.

As she approached the main entrance she shifted her bag on her shoulder and took a deep breath. Plastering a harried but eager look on her face she opened the doors and stepped inside. If she could pull this off, she would advance their cause by working from the inside out. If she failed, she hesitated mid-step, well she just couldn't fail. Too much was riding on this, failure was just not an option!


	8. Chapter 8

Once Violet stepped into reception she could feel the tension in the air. Valerie, the girl behind the desk stifled a squeak of surprise at seeing her but covered well, "welcome back, ma'am," she plastered a fake smile on her face, "we weren't expecting to see you..." she gulped, "so soon!"

"I know my holiday isn't over until tomorrow, but I can't find the charger for my mobile, silly me I left it in my office I think, the battery went flat three days into our trip! Would you believe that?" Violet held up her phone, and then placed it back in her pocket.

Valerie eyed the phone, and then looked back at her, "bad luck!" she replied, the smile not fading, "well, as I said, welcome back!" she called after the blue haired woman as she made her way to the lifts.

The minute she thought Violet was out of earshot she quickly dialled Pete's office, "you will not believe who just waltzed in here, pretty as you please!" she spoke into the phone, "I know but she said her mobile was dead. I think she never got the message from...yes sir, I can see her on the screen now," she leaned into the bank of monitors and watched Violet standing in the lift, "she's heading to her office now."

The receptionist paused a moment, scanning the images, "no sir, she's all on her own! I will let you know if I see any sign of her 'husband' thing," with that she hung up the phone and waited for her next command.

Kevin timed his walking past Violet's office to just the moment after she had gotten settled at her desk, he figured if it came to a confrontation he would just close the door behind him, lock it and hit her with the sedative gas he had waiting in his pocket along with the compact mask that would protect him from the fumes. Assuming the grovelling air he had worn since getting busted down to archives by the now imprisoned former head of Torchwood he peeked into the doorway.

Violet saw him and looked up, "hello Kevin, what brings you to this floor?" she asked the sneer of disdain she got whenever she said his name apparent on her pretty face.

"Just dropping some reports off," he lied eyeing her carefully.

"You can put them just there," she replied not looking up from searching the desk drawers.

"What are you looking for?" he asked.

"I can't find my phone charger, I swear I left it here..." she opened the centre drawer and moved the contents around. Then she pulled out the spare charger she kept there and held it up, "there it is! Stupid phone went flat!"

Kevin watched her plug in the charger, waiting for her to turn it on to retrieve messages, specifically the one he suspected her mother left her regarding his recent take over of Torchwood. She didn't power it up, instead just laid it down on the desk. Then she looked up at him, "is there anything else?" she asked impatiently.

"No I just have some more reports," he gestured to the random folders he had quickly grabbed to use as props, "to drop off to other managers..."

"I'm going to Pete's office to check in, I can take those from you if that's where you're going," Violet offered holding out her hand.

"He's not there," Kevin quickly offered, "he said something about a meeting regarding additional funding. I was in his office when he was talking to his secretary." A very convincing lie, he laughed in his mind, if I do have to say so myself.

"Better him than me," Violet laughed. And stood to open the blinds behind her. As she did Kevin put some of the files he had carried in, into her basket and swiped the phone from the desk, quickly stuff it into his pocket before hastily leaving the room.

Violet had heard his clumsy fumblings to get the phone from the charger and took her time turning back around. Of course she had figured that at some point her phone would be taken so she had pulled the SIM card out. Hopefully he would just chuck the phone and not try to turn it on. Or if he did, would just think it still dead. Either way unless he had a spare he wasn't going to be able to operate it either.

Logging onto her computer, knowing full well that the security systems would monitor her every key stroke, she checked her email and then printed off a few documents she was working on before all of this had happened. All very mundane stuff, nothing to set off alarms that she was aware that today was in anyway out of the ordinary.

She hoped that if they thought she was oblivious they'd let their guard down. If they thought nothing was in the works, no one was wise to the coup then they would stop watching and waiting for the rescue that she knew was in the works.

Looking up over the stack of papers she was holding to sneak a quick glance at the security camera she knew was set in one corner of her office, she saw the green light blinking. She was being watched.


	9. Chapter 9

It was painfully obvious to everyone as John emerged from the TARDIS that Violet had disappeared. He was a bit out of breath and took a moment before launching into an impressive array of swear words regarding this fact.

Jackie frowned at the steady stream of obscenities but at least waited until he had run out of steam before asking, "so where is she?"

"My guess," The Doctor replied, "is she went ahead into Torchwood."

John nodded in agreement, "it's just the sort of thing she would do..."

"You have to go get her!" Jackie yelled, "she ain't safe!"

"This just keeps getting better and better," The Master grumbled, "anyone else care to muck things up?" With that he turned his gaze on David.

At first he looked surprised at the Time Lord's stare, then he shrugged, "I'm not planning on it. Besides I'm sure she had a reason for this, maybe by being on the inside she can help get us in too?"

"Let's hope," The Doctor sighed, "now time to get going before someone else wanders off."

"Maybe we should put them all on leashes and just unfetter them when we get closer," The Master offered unhelpfully.

John's eyes blazed at this and stepped towards the Time Lord but David stopped him, "don't let him get to you. He's not worth the effort."

The Master huffed indignantly at this, but John stopped and smiled, "you're right of course. Now let's go defeat some baddies."

David and John waited, as planned, for the two Time Lords to disappear into the bowels of Torchwood before setting off themselves. As they crested the hill John noted the other man's silence and touched him on the shoulder, "you all right?"

"Oh yeah, great," David sighed, "we're heading into a place dedicated to stopping aliens, and we're both a least a bit suspect genetically speaking. Plus we don't know what we're looking for, what we'll find once we get in, and what's waiting for us. And are unarmed. So no I'd say I'm not all right."

"It's a challenge to be sure," John admitted with laugh, "but have I gotten you killed yet?"

David wasn't sure quite how to respond to that. John looked at him expectantly, his dark eyes dancing with mirth, "no I suppose you haven't," he finally admitted.

"Well then, if track record is anything to go on, you'll be fine!" John replied, then he grew serious, "I promise if it's within my power I will not let any harm come to you."

"Good to know," David tried for a smile but it sort of half froze on his face.

John saw this effort and his heart sank a bit. He wasn't nearly as adept at self delusion as The Doctor and maybe that was good for the most part, but when it came to this sort of thing he wished he had that talent. Instead he settled for patting David on the back reassuringly, and quickly changing the subject, "once we get over the next hill, we should see the maintenance tunnels. The fourth door on the left is the one that Violet said is never locked...." at the mention of his wife's name he swallowed hard.

He recovered by taking a deep breath, "and after that it's just a series of smaller tunnels to the cell blocks."

"I still don't see what we can accomplish once we get there," David scratched his ear distractedly.

"There's an electrical panel just outside the last tunnel, if we can cut the power and use the resulting darkness to get to Pete's cell..."

"Surely they'll just turn the power back on?"

John had hoped that David wouldn't reason it out so quickly, but he winced inwardly, he was a clever man. How could he not be, given his heritage? Wishing again he had a bit more talent for deception he just shrugged, "we'll have to play it by ear."

"Great plan," David mumbled.

"It'll have to do."

They reached the door and John swung it open. The smell that assaulted their noses made both men reel back in disgust.

"Let me guess," David gagged, fanning the air in front of him, "maintenance tunnel is just a euphemism for..."

"Sewage drain," John finished for him wiping his tearing eyes with the back of his sleeve. Then he peered inside, "at least this one appears to be mostly dry it must be an overflow pipe."

"Now I see why The Doctor had us go in this way," David grumbled.

John nodded, "most likely," he took off his over shirt and ripped it in half, handing the one piece to the actor, "tie this over your mouth and nose, it should help keep the stench down."

David quickly fashioned the material into an impromptu mask just his eyes and the top of his head visible, "remind me to throttle him later," his muffled voice growled from behind the cloth.

"Me first," John laughed as he rolled up then tied the shirt half in place around his head.


	10. Chapter 10

As Violet had predicted, Kevin had tried to switch her phone on as soon as he got back to Pete's office. He put it down after it was obvious the thing wouldn't power up. 'At least that part was true,' he assured himself tossing the mobile into the rubbish bin under the desk. He had played out many scenarios in his head regarding Violet's return. He had accounting for her coming into, commando style, with her alien 'husband' at her side trying to retake Torchwood by force. He had even allowed himself to imagine her throwing herself at his mercy, offering up her supple body as payment for her step father's release, even though that was more wishful thinking on his part. But her just showing up for what would appear to be a normal day's work, as if any day were really normal in this madhouse, was not one of the alternatives.

Hitting a few keys on his computer he pulled up the logs of her recent activity. Mundane stuff, nothing unusual. All boring day-to-day routines. Could she really not know what had happened in her absence?

Maybe it was time to bring in that haranguing fish-wife that Pete had married and get her to tell what she knows! It was amazing that the common and frankly crass woman had given birth to the delicate beauty Violet. The only thing that clearly gave away her lineage was her odd tendency to dye her hair colours that didn't exist in nature. Aside from that she was so far removed from the loud mouthed classless woman that was her mother.

Delving back into the fantasy of Violet using her 'charms' as a bargaining tool, Kevin leaned back in the supple leather chair eyes closed with a smirk on his face.

\--------

"It's bad enough you put your own life on the line," The Master groused, "but putting us all in peril is a new trick."

"You were given the option of staying in the TARDIS," The Doctor shot back not looking at his fellow Time Lord, "I offered you that chance. You opted to come along."

"Someone has to save your mangy hide, pull you out when you're too stupid to recognise danger!"

At that the thin Time Lord stopped, turning to face him, "you'd save me? My hero!" he laughed.

The Master stepped back, brushing imaginary lint from his lapel before answering, "don't be silly. I wouldn't care at all if you weren't the only one who can fly that sad excuse for a time capsule you're so inordinately fond of. I don't want to spend the rest of my life stuck on this lump of dirt."

"Come on admit it, you're getting fond of me in your old age," The Doctor teased, batting his eyes at the clearly offended Master.

"I'd rather French kiss a Wirrn," The Master snarled.

"If we get out of this alive, I'll take you to Andromeda and you can get your wish. But until then, let's concentrate on the task at hand shall we?"

"I hate you," The Master hissed.

"I know," came the reply as The Doctor led them further into Torchwood.

They were silent for a bit until The Master yelped and jumped back. The Doctor rushed to his side, "what's wrong?"

The Master was furiously slapping at his shoulder, "I just ran into a giant spider's web!" 

The Doctor peered into the dim corridor, "there are giant spiders here? I wonder if they're from Metebelis 3?"

"No, you idiot, the web was giant. I'm sure the spider was just normal sized! I just hate spiders!"

This made the thin Time Lord smirk, "you're afraid of spiders?"

"Ever since I had that encounter with Marsh spiders, they give me the creeps. I was rolled up in a web for a week, those multi-lensed eyed beasts occasionally giving me a quick nip to see if I was ripe enough..." at that he shuddered.

Reaching into the centre of the web The Doctor plucked the small spider from its web dangling it by a thread in front of The Master, "this is just a garden variety house spider, see?"

The Master slapped this out of his fellow Time Lord's hands' knocking the spider to the floor and sending the small creature scuttling into the darkness. Then he stomped his feet after it, trying to squish it as it ran to get away. The sound of his shoes started to echo down the deserted hallway, ringing off the walls and growing louder as it went.

The Doctor realised what was happening a moment later when the sound of other footsteps, many footsteps started to reach them. He grabbed The Master pulling him into an unlocked room and shoved him into a cupboard before joining him inside, hopefully to stay hidden until they were once again alone.


	11. Chapter 11

The two men walked into the tunnel in silence, mostly because neither one wanted to breathe in the stench any more than they had to. It was only once they got to where the pipes branched out in three distinct directions that John finally spoke up, "there was nothing in The Doctor's map that mentioned this," he scratched his ear in confusion.

David squinted out of his slightly watering eyes down each tunnel in turn, "I've lost track of direction, which way are we currently heading?"

John thought about that for a moment, "we came in from the north and have been moving in a mostly westward manner..." he looked around in the gloom and gestured towards the left most branch, "the cells should be that way, roughly."

"I wonder why this isn't on the map? I hope we didn't trudge through the noxious vapours by mistake," David rubbed his hand across his brow.

"I think it's more that no one really cares if sewage drains are marked clearly because no one wants to visit them anyway," John laughed.

"No argument from me on that," David nodded, "the air isn't getting any fresher, let's continue on shall we?" he made the step up into the tunnel and held his hand out to John. The thin man seemed to hesitate a moment before hauling himself up.

As John joined him in the tunnel David heard a splashing sound further on, "that doesn't sound good..." he mumbled.

"I don't think it's anything to be concerned about," John assured him, "most likely it's just a rat."

"Rats? Oh this day just keeps getting better and better!"

Patting the thin Scot on the back John laughed, "don't worry they are just as scared of you as you are of them."

"I'm not afraid of rats, I just don't like them," then he paused, "at least they're not moths."

John stopped, "moths?" he asked incredulously, "you'd rather encounter a rat than a moth?"

"Definitely! I mean you swat them and they turn to dust, it's creepy!"

"OK...." John stared at him for a few seconds, not blinking. Then he spoke slowly as if talking to a spooked animal, "I'll keep that in mind. But have you ever considered just not swatting them?"

\-------  
Jackie was whining to, apparently the TARDIS, as she stood alone on the hillside. Sure The Doctor had given her the task of surveillance then swanned off without actually giving her a way to contact them if something did come up. She did have her mobile but when she tried to call Violet she got no answer. John never carried a phone, claiming there was no one he ever felt the urgent need to speak to and if The Doctor had a phone she was pretty sure he wouldn't give her the number.

The alternate John, David as he called himself, may have a phone but he seemed jumpy around her ever since she had given him the piece of her mind she meant for his duplicate, her son-in-law. She felt badly about that. He seemed a decent lad, in fact when he looked at her with those large dark eyes like she was about to leap out and bite him, her heart twinged a bit. She wanted to give him a reassuring hug but figured if she tried it he'd run screaming in the other direction.

You would think he had never gotten told off before.

Not that she didn't think she excelled in that area. She used to make the local green grocer, the one who had a tongue hatched on a bog seat, blush when he tried to swindle her. It got so he used to keep choice items held back for her on her normal shopping day for fear of her unleashing her temper on him.

Still and all she was a fair person, she really should have apologised to this David bloke for the whole incident but she was too busy trying to suss out who was who, and really who could blame her for being confused?

She shivered as the wind picked up, wrapping her mink coat around her for warmth. Here she was freezing to death, and all alone. She made mental note to let The Doctor know how little she appreciated this treatment when she saw him again. But this time she'd make sure she was yelling at the right tall, skinny, freckled man before letting loose!

Jackie moved to where the TARDIS was blocking the wind from hitting her. She leaned against the door hoping by some miracle the thing was unlocked. It wasn't. But still it had some uses, she smiled as she fished her packet of cigarettes, imported, of course, out of her pocket and lit one up.

She closed her eyes as she took the first drag and pictured Pete in some dark cage somewhere. She had only been in the offices the ‘nice’ area of Torchwood but had heard enough from Violet and Pete about the rest of it. Places where aliens, deemed a threat to society were kept. Heard their endless debates as Pete staunchly defended the practice of catching and keeping aliens, while Violet argued that it was wrong. That yes, some needed containment, but not all!

Jackie agreed with Pete. If she had her way all non-humans would be locked up, can’t trust any of them! Then she flashed on an image of The Doctor. He was another matter all together. She wasn’t sure if he needed to be locked away in the cells or not. Most times when he appeared bad things happened. But he was usually there to stop them, not make them worse.

Still, he was alien. She shook her head, luckily these things were not up to her, she took another puff of the cigarette and pulled her coat in tighter.


	12. Chapter 12

Pete gave the appearance of a man who had given up, and resigned himself to his fate. But anyone who fell for this was deluding themselves. He was lying on his cot in the cell eyes closed but his ears were tuned to the chatter outside.

Kevin had returned to tell him that Violet was in the building, and how it appeared she was unaware of the recent events. The snivelling coward was gloating at Pete about how easy this all was and that he could snatch her at any minute and put her in the cell right next to his. Just as Kevin turned to leave a security guard came up to him.

“Sir, we have activity in level seven,” the man panted; obviously he had moved faster than his beer belly was used to, and was quite red in the face.

“Bring it up on the screen!” Kevin ordered, and they both peered at the monitor set in one wall. The camera swept the hallways but it only picked up two more security guards walking slowly along scanning the area with their torches.

“Could it be a malfunctioning sensor?” the guard offered hopefully.

Kevin squinted at the screen, “I seriously doubt it. Show me Violet’s office again?” the guard typed in a command and the monitor changed to see Violet sitting at her desk carefully reading some document and adding notes every so often. This didn’t seem to mollify him but at least he knew where she was, “keep looking!” he commanded as he turned back to Pete.

“I’m guessing our little ‘malfunction’ is that alien you have been harbouring. I have someone positioned outside your house and Violet’s. I seriously doubt your wife would have the brains to pull something like this off.”

Pete continued to play possum, figuring saying nothing was best.

“I’ll make sure you have V.I.P. seating for the dissection once we get your son-in-law into the labs. I’m sure there will be plenty of surprises in store there!” Kevin chortled as he led the guards out of the cell area.

Rolling on his side, facing away from the camera Pete let his blank mask slip, he knew that it wasn’t an idle threat. If John was captured they would have him strapped to a surgical table in no time, performing what would essentially be his autopsy started while he was of course, still alive. He shuddered at this thought, and offered up a prayer that it would not come to that.

\----

The Doctor waited until the footsteps had passed before stepping out into the hallway. The guards had done a pretty perfunctory search, he had heard them try the door and finding it locked the moved on. Which worked in their favour of course, but this didn’t mean that was the end of it. He fully expected them to return, possibly with keys and it was best that he and The Master get out of the area before they returned.

Speaking of, he turned to see where his fellow Time Lord had gotten to and found him rifling through a tall set of drawers set in one wall.

“What are you doing?” he hissed his voice in a loud whisper.

“Looking for something useful,” The Master replied without looking at him, “that sonic thing of yours will not do much against good old fashion bullets.”

The Doctor came up behind him and peered into the drawer, “anything interesting?”

“So far, no,” The Master held up what looked to be pliers with three arms, “I think this is a dentist’s office.”

“Actually that is, for um,” The Doctor started, “the Crais specifically the female of the species, it’s….” his hands forming vague shapes as he talked, “anyway, it’s not very useful for our purpose.”

The Master caught on and gingerly put the instrument back and wiped his hands on his trousers, taking time to slip on some latex gloves from a box on the countertop before delving into another drawer.

“We really should get going,” the thin Time Lord prompted impatiently.

“I’m not ready yet,” came the muffled reply as The Master opened and practically climbed into a free standing cupboard.

“The guards will be back soon!”

“Then go ahead, I’ll catch up!” one hand emerged from the cupboard and waved in the general direction of the door.

“Not a chance,” then he reached into the cupboard to grab The Master out, “we’re leaving now!”

The Master dragged his heels as he was pulled along, “but there’s so much more!” he protested.

The Doctor opened the door again, scanning the hallway before stepping out into it. He could hear footsteps but they were growing more faint so they were obviously still moving away from them. Now if he could just get The Master to stop scuffing his feet they may have a chance to get out of there in one piece!

As they walked along The Doctor started to hear a soft jingling sound. When he stopped it stopped too and when he started up again, so did the noise. Then he realised where it was coming from, “what do you have in your pockets?” he asked of his fellow Time Lord.

“Just a few trinkets, you know how I love shiny things,” The Master shrugged, “I’m sure they’ll never miss them!”

“We have to keep quiet!”

The Master quickly rearranged the items, distributing them more spread out among his various pockets, keeping them covered so The Doctor couldn’t see what he had by turning his back, “there, that should do it!,” he announced, “what are you doing just standing there? The guards will be coming back!” he gestured at the hallway and strode off with great purpose.


	13. Chapter 13

The Doctor watched The Master stride off with an amazed expression on his face for a few hearts beats then caught up with him, “why are you so gung ho all of a sudden?” he eyed his fellow Time Lord suspiciously.

“The sooner we get this rescue mission out of the way the sooner I can get off this Rassilon forsaken place!” came the reply.

At this the thin Time Lord blew out a sigh of relief, “whew, for a moment there you had me worried that you were actually doing something selfless for once!”

“Don’t be stupid, that’ll never happen,” The Master reassured him, “now we could just paint a big sign on ourselves ‘we’re aliens come and get us’ and wait to be captured. Or we can shift that skinny backside of yours and get out of here instead of standing around waiting for one of those buffoons to return!”

That seemed to motivate The Doctor and he started down the next corridor until they reached an access panel set in one wall.

“I don’t suppose you have any plastic explosives in that ridiculous coat of yours?” The Master asked as the short burst from the sonic screw driver opened the panel door to expose the wiring.

“I am not in the habit of carrying things that go boom around with me,” The Doctor replied reaching into the niche and pulling out a hand full of wires.

The Master leaned against the wall next to the panel, “silly of me to ask. Why carry something useful when you can have wind up toys, bits of string and a treasure trove of items that would delight a five-year-old instead? I can’t believe you have lived this long!”

“Could you stand over there?” The Doctor gestured with the sonic at the opposite wall.

“Am I blocking the light?” The Master asked complying with the request.

“Not exactly,” the thin Time Lord replied, fishing into a pocket and pulling out a tin of breath mints, holding it out to him, “but you could really use one of these.”

\------------

John rounded the curve of the tunnel and suddenly came to a complete halt. David stopped too noting the intent look on the other man’s face; he was clearly straining to listen to something. He started to ask what was going on but John held up his hand asking for him to remain silent.

At that moment David heard the sound of voices, seeming to be in the tunnel itself. Looking around for something to hide behind he glanced up and saw what was going on. There was a vent or drainage hole in the roof just a few metres down the way. They were under what appeared to be a warehouse of some sort from what little he could see through the holes.

“What sort of junk is this?” one man spoke up as the sound of machinery rang through the tunnel.

“I dunno, somebody found it and we get to drag it in and catalogue it. You ask me it’s a joke,” another voice replied, “someone chucks something out and we get to find a place to stick it.”

Shaking his head to clear the slight edge of panic he was had felt when he first heard the voices David took a deep breath. ‘One thing at a time concentrate on getting out of here first,’ he chided himself, 'can’t accomplish anything if you’re scattered in several directions!’

He was not the only one affected, John ran a hand through his hair and blew out a long breath. After taking a moment to compose himself, John gestured for David to follow him and they moved on.

The tunnel grew darker as they progressed. David tried to not to picture what may be lurking in the dark, but the small scurrying sounds and the occasional squeak made it hard to ignore that they were not alone.

That and he was beginning to think he’d never get to breathe air that didn’t reek of rot. The smell was not held back much by the impromptu masks and seemed to be soaking into his skin. He buoyed himself with the promise of a long hot shower when they got out of there. If they got out, he amended.

Once they were past the warehouse area John stopped again, “around the next corner is the maintenance tunnel. When we reach that there should be a ladder and that will take us to the cells,” he explained his voice in a near whisper

“I still have no idea what we plan to do once we get there!” David replied trying to keep his voice low as well, “they’re not going to let us just waltz in and bust Pete out without trying to stop us.”

“The Doctor is going to provide distraction, and before you ask, he didn’t go into any detail, you know how he is,” John snorted, “but he said that we should wait for a signal. The lights will flash two times, like the power is failing, and that will buy us the time we need.”

“Do you think this is going to work?” David asked.

“It has to,” John insisted, “so let’s hope it does!”

“I don’t suppose you have a backup plan?”

“Several, but most of them depend on not being ankle deep in shit,” John laughed, “I think we both could use a change of scenery. I know I’ve had enough of this place so I’m sure you have too.”

“Definitely,” David agreed quickly. With that they headed towards the hatch, both praying that no one would be waiting for them on the other side.


	14. Chapter 14

The Master didn't like it when his fellow Time Lord grew silent. As much as he disliked this version of his old friend/enemy's tendency to talk incessantly it was worse when he stopped. As they progressed into the bowels of Torchwood The Doctor was completely quiet, which meant, The Master sighed, that there was a lot going on behind those dark eyes and none of it was good.

"You're up to something," he spoke up, the silence finally getting to him. That got only a slight nod by way of reply so he tried again, "since we're in this together...care to enlighten me?"

The Doctor didn't turn around but kept his gaze on the semi-dark hallway stretching before them, "this may call for a sacrificial lamb," he intoned cryptically.

Having gotten used to these sort of half informative pronouncement over the years The Master caught on immediately, "oh no you don't!" he hissed as he grabbed the other's thin shoulders and whirled him around, "you can't do that!"

"I would think you'd like the idea, you'd get rid of me once and for all," The Doctor replied his voice mild as if they were talking about the weather.

"When that time finally comes, and Rassilon knows it will, I want to be the one to do it, not these semi-evolved apes with their shiny ill gotten toys!" he took a deep breath, "and if you do get yourself captured you will essentially strand all of us here!"

"It's not a bad place," the thin Time Lord smiled, "besides John and Violet already live here. David would adapt and I'm sure you could find some small village to terrorise."

"How can you even entertain the idea of putting yourself up as a willing hostage for the life of one insignificant human?"

"He's not insignificant, and it's not just him. If the others get caught they'll be in danger, I don't believe for one second that Torchwood doesn't already suspect John, and they will most certainly examine David too, and they will take them apart, I can't let that happen."

The Master let go and stepped back, "you really do have a death wish don't you?" when his statement was met with an indifferent shrug he wanted to scream, instead he kept his voice low, "give me the TARDIS then. Unlock her and I promise I will take the mongrel back to his Earth and his real life and get on with my own."

Whatever The Doctor's answer would have been was lost as the unmistakable sound of guns being armed came from behind them. The Master had been so caught up in trying to talk some sense into his fellow Time Lord he didn't hear the guards approaching. One look at The Doctor confirmed that he had known they were there and this was part of his plan.

"I hope they tear you bits, slowly and painfully," The Master hissed as the order came to put their hands above their heads, "and I get to watch!"

\---------

Violet stretched dramatically, putting on a bit of a show for the camera she knew was watching her every move. She had started a programme on her computer, one that it was perfectly routine for her to run, but this time she had a less than routine reason for running it.

Once a day she ran the cells check, the normal way of tracking what was in the cells and the health of the occupants. It was part of her daily job to do this so no red flags would be set off, or so she hoped. It was no surprise that level 12 was now somehow not responding to the scans. Obviously Kevin wasn't stupid and had figured out that at some point someone would run the programme and whatever his reason for keeping Pete where he was, he didn't want him found.

Holding back the scream of frustration she felt bubbling up, she forced a bland expression on her face, as if nothing seemed out of the ordinary, even added a faked yawn as the figures scrolled by. Once the printer was done with its task she scooped up the papers, stuffed them into a file folder and put them on her desk.

Rising she picked up her purse, pulling out her wallet. Counting out some change like she was going to the vending machines, she covered the act of pulling out a small device as well, all went into her pocket as she left the room.


	15. Chapter 15

David put a restraining hand on John's arm, "that wasn't a rat," he whispered as he heard a sound just around the bend.

John listened for a moment, "you're right and neither was that," he gestured behind them.

"Maybe it's the way the tunnel is laid out but it sounds like it's coming from all sides," David spun around slowly.

"That would be nice," John sighed, "but I think the reason it sounds like it's coming from all sides is because it is! I had hoped that we were doing so well because they didn't know we were here..."

"But they let us get to this point so they could surround us," the actor concluded.

"It would appear that way."

"Now what?"

"There's a small access panel," John knelt down and pulled at the cover with his fingers, "you're going to get um, wet, but if you get in there it should take you to the ventilation shaft outside the compound, you'll have to crawl a ways but you'll get out." As he said that the cover came off and the sound of dripping liquid could be heard.

"That's going to be a snug fit, how are we..." David started.

"Not we, you," John cut him off, "I'm not going. If they find nobody they'll keep looking if they find someone, me, you stand a better chance of escaping."

"I'm not leaving you here!"

"You have to," John smiled softly, "it's the only solution. I know how this place works, and I don't want them getting their hands on you," leading David to the opening he gave the actor a quick hug, "take care of Violet for me," he whispered in the actor's ear before half shoving him towards the access panel, "and take care of yourself!"

\----------

Pete heard the guards approaching, and held his breath. He had been left pretty much on his own, which he knew wasn't going to last. He had built up in his mind being on the receiving end of the various 'interrogation' techniques that some of the staff used on less than cooperative aliens. He didn't approve of them, of course, and whenever he was made aware of the abuse he stopped in immediately, but still it went on. He had guessed it was just a matter of time before some of those techniques would be used on him.

He wasn't prepared, however, to see the guards leading The Doctor and some other person, a shorter more solidly built man in a black suit, into the cell block.

The Doctor waved cheerily as they passed his cell, "hi Pete," he called out, "long time no see!"

Not sure how much the guards knew of the Time Lord, Pete just waved back.

The other man glowered at both of them, "this isn't social hour," he grumbled. The guards appeared to agree with him and jabbed the new comers in their backs with the guns, prodding them to move on.

They stopped at a table set against one wall and ordered the captives to empty their pockets. The Doctor's pile was overflowing the small basket they had set down. Pete thought it was a trick of the light because what spilled out of the container looked mostly like children's toys and an impressive amount of rubber band balls. Maybe it was some sort of alien weaponry?

The guards shifted through the mound and fished out the sonic screwdriver, "only thing of consequence," one declared, "is this pen light," he duly noted in on the clip board and gave the whole collection back to the Time Lord with a snort.

Next came The Master, by the snail's pace at which he emptied his pockets it was obvious he had more to hide. As the basket filled with weapons, and devices that were quite apparently alien the guard looked at him carefully, "who are you?" he asked the gun held tightly in his hands.

Thinking quickly The Master replied, "I am with the Scottish branch of Torchwood, we caught this....thing..." he gestured at The Doctor, "and were bringing him here for study."

Pete knew everyone in all of the substations, this man was clearly not one of them, but taking his cue from the casual attitude The Doctor seemed to have regarding him, he said nothing.

The Master's lie seemed to work, the guards gave him back his weapons and ignored him as they placed The Doctor in the cell opposite. As the door clicked shut Pete heard, "I would definitely not book this hotel again, the hospitality is just appalling," This was met by an eye roll from the cell across the way, but despite himself Pete laughed long and hard at The Doctor's quip. When he couldn't stop laughing, he realised that he was finally starting to lose it.

\----------

As David's feet cleared the panel, John hastily reattached the cover and straightened up, leaning against it with one foot, just in time to be set upon by four men. They were heavily armed and taking aim at him. "Oh thank god you're here," John smiled winningly, "I think my sat-nav is malfunctioning, I am beginning to this this isn't Waterloo Station after all!"

One of the men cracked a smile but the three sets of matching glares that came his way quickly made his expression change. He cleared his throat and set his features to mimic the others.

"You will come with us," the one who was obviously the one in charge barked.

"With pleasure," John laughed, "I don't suppose anyone has any air freshener on them?" he quipped as the hand cuffs were locked on his wrists, "it's a bit whiffy down here."


	16. Chapter 16

The minute Kevin was alerted that they had captured intruders he practically ran down to the cell block, but given his rather soft and doughy physique by the time he reached the area, he was out of breath.

The guards were talking causally to a man in a dark suit as if they were old friends, he noted with a scowl, "who is that?" he pointed at the stranger.

"He's from the Scottish branch," one of the guards offered, "his name is..."

"Paul Jones, at your service," The Master bowed slightly in the red faced man's direction.

Kevin glanced at him briefly, obviously dismissing him as unimportant as he approached the real prize, the tall man in the cell opposite Pete's. He frowned as he took in the man's outfit, he clearly resembled John. The clothing struck him as familiar but not on the man he expected to see. He studied the figure standing in front of him, his eyes hard, which was in sharp contrast to the obviously amused eyes staring back at him.

"What's with the suit?" he finally asked.

"I like to wear a suit for formal occasions," The Doctor replied, "weddings, funerals, capturings, you know the big ones!"

"Or," The Master chimed in, "he could be playing dress up."

Kevin glanced at him, "you know who this is?"

"Of course I do," came the dismissive reply, "but it would appear you don't."

"So what's his name?"

"Ask him yourself, I'm not doing all your work for you!"

The Doctor stole a glance at the man's ID badge, "come on Kevin, don't play coy, you know who I am," he chided, modulating his voice to be a slight sneer. The Master raised his eyebrows at his fellow Time Lord's tone. He sounded more like him than The Doctor.

Kevin nodded, "I'll admit the outfit fooled me at first, John, it is a bit early for Halloween but no matter, I know who you are now," he leaned into the window closely, "you've been allowed to be free, unstudied long enough, I look forward to seeing what makes you tick!"

The Master started to correct the man, but caught the warning glance from The Doctor and just shrugged. 'After all,' he thought, 'if he wants to be tortured and taken apart, who am I to disagree?'

Just when it seemed the feeble minded oaf was secure in his smugness, another tall, skinny man was brought into the cells. Unlike the one already caged this man was dressed in jeans and a jumper and smelt completely rank.

"Whoa!" Kevin reeled back, "get him washed up before you bring him in here!" he waved them off, as they turned towards the showers it struck him that this person was an exact twin of the brown suited captive, "wait, who are you?"

"I'm..." he started to say but the mismatched eyed man who had called himself Paul Jones interrupted.

"He's The Doctor."

This pronouncement got him two identical surprised looks, but both quickly recovered.

Kevin got in as close as the stench would allow, "you're the one who popped in on me with the blue box! But why is he wearing your clothes?" he gestured at the figure in the cells.

"I..." John started, the lie not leaping easily to his tongue.

"I stole them," The Doctor piped up, "thought I could fool you but obviously you're too clever for that."

That seemed to satisfy Kevin, and he waved the guards past as they dragged a completely confused John towards the showers. He shot the Time Lords a questioning look. The Master just shrugged indifferently, while The Doctor, even more perplexingly, just smiled widely.

\------

It seemed like he would never stand upright again, as he crawled through the piping towards what John had said was a vent pipe. At least this stretch was dry. Not that at this point it really mattered, David sigh, still painfully aware of the cloud of stink that hung over him.

Just about the time he was about to give up he saw daylight. Finally able to stand up was a relief too; he opened the grating covering the opening and climbed out. Squinting in the bright light the first thing he saw the TARDIS. Next thing was Jackie barrelling down on him.

"Wow you are honkin'!" she wrinkled her nose at him, "I hope that box has a bath in it!"

"You and me both," he agreed.

"Go clean up young man!" she took a hanky from her pocket holding it over her nose, "then come back and tell me everything that's happened!"


	17. Chapter 17

When David emerged from the shower the foetid pile of clothing he had been wearing, that he had left in a mouldering heap on the floor, was gone. He had thought he would probably need to burn the lot, but instead the clothing was cleaned, folded and still a bit warm from the dryer.

He couldn't picture Jackie touching the foulness, and really he hadn't been in the shower that long so he figured the TARDIS had done it. He smiled as he lifted the jeans from the vanity; she had even pressed neat creases in the legs. Even the canvas shoes he had on in the sewer were as clean as if they were brand new.

He wondered if the reason The Doctor's suit always looked rumpled was because he never took it off long enough for her to get to it, or she was ordered to leave it alone.

Either way it felt good to get into clean clothes. It had taken intense scrubbing and at least two rounds of shampooing before he felt he no longer reeked.

Jackie had followed him into the TARDIS but had waited in the console room. Not before bending his ear about how little she was appreciated, how no one had taken her feelings into consideration. For a moment he was worried she would follow him upstairs, but she plunked down on the jump seat and just fumed, muttering to herself as he made his way up the ramp.

Looking down, he saw that she was still sitting in the same spot, but was soaking wet and cursing like a sailor. In her hand were a very damp cigarette and a soggy lighter. She must have heard him approach and scowled up at him, "the stupid machine sprayed me!"

Biting back a laugh David replied, "I don't think you're allowed to smoke in here."

"Where are the signs? I don't see no signs, warning would have been nice!" she yelled at the walls.

Considering hiding in his room until her temper tantrum had passed, David started to turn around. As he did so a large gust of wind blew out of some air vents set in the walls, blowing Jackie dry. Her cursing started anew as her hair whipped out of its previous style and she looked like she had stuck her finger in a light socket.

\--------

Violet was surprised to have gotten this far into the cell blocks without being stopped. She didn’t allow herself to think that was because she wasn’t be watched, she figured there was a reason she was allowed to get as close to Pete’s cell as this. It was a trap.

What was unusual was how the security check points were completely unmanned. Even if she was being set up, there should at least be a skeleton crew manning the desks. No way Kevin’s scheming would overwrite the most basic procedures, no, something else was going on…but what?

She was about to head into the block where Pete was when she heard a commotion on the other side of the doors. Voices were raised, and it sounded like furniture was being thrown about. Then a loud sound, almost like a gunshot filled the air and everything went black.

\--------

As soon as he was cleaned up and dressed in a borrowed set of scrubs, and being led back into the main cell are John launched himself at one of the guards. He had anticipated that the man would react by throwing him against the opposite wall. He hit it hard, almost knocking the breath from him. Pretending to stumble he aimed for the switch that opened the cell The Doctor was currently residing in, hearing the click as the lock disengaged. Then he whirled around like he was off balance, catching the fuse box cover in one hand, flipping the switches off.

The guard was not as slow as he hoped, however, before the lights went out he felt the butt of the gun make contact with his head and his world went black about the same time as the rest of Torchwood was plunged into darkness. His last thought before losing consciousness was he hoped the Time Lords were able to escape, otherwise all his efforts were in vain.

In the silence that followed The Doctor stepped out of the cell, and looked around. Time Lords can see quite easily in the dark. He could see The Master open the weapons cupboard and start to fill his pockets; he saw John lying slumped against one wall, a trickle of blood running from somewhere under his hairline to cross his cheek and Kevin fumbling in his pocket for a torch.

But his real object of interest was Pete’s cell; the door was still firmly locked so he pulled out the sonic screwdriver ready to give it a burst when the lights came back on.

It would have been funny, at any other time, what the lights revealed. As they flickered back on it caught The Master in mid-pocket shove, Violet just appearing around the corner and the guards frozen to the spot like they were playing a statue game.

The Doctor pocketed the sonic and looked expectantly around the room, “guess I’ll just get back in here? Shall I?” he offered after a while, gesturing at the cell behind him as all the guards trained their guns on him. With that he stepped inside and pulled the door shut.


	18. Chapter 18

Kevin turned to Violet with a smirk, “so good of you to join us…” but was cut off as she ran over to the still form of her husband.

“What do you do to…?” she started before The Master interrupted her.

“The Doctor,” he interjected.

“What did you do to The Doctor?” she quickly repeated, shooting him a confused look but figuring there was a reason he was playing this game.

“He attacked one of the guards in a vain attempt to free your husband,” Kevin explained as he gestured for the uniformed men to pull her off of the unconscious man, “I think it’s time for a family reunion.” With that she was roughly lifted to her feet and shoved into the cell with Pete.

Pete half considered rushing the door but the way the guards gripped the guns tightly and the fact that one of them was completely helpless should shooting break out, he reconsidered. Instead he just folded his step-daughter into a hug and glared at the preening wretch who seemed to think he was on top of the world.

After John was hauled up from his slumped position on the floor and placed in the same cell as The Doctor Kevin turned his attention to The Master, “we need to run a bio-scan on all of you. We’ll start with you since you are the only one outside the cells…for now.”

As if on cue a white coated woman appeared from nowhere with something that looked like the hand held metal detectors used at airports, she waved it over The Master once and then frowned at the device, before trying again. Shaking it a few times she made one more pass.

“Now what?” Kevin snapped impatiently.

“It doesn’t appear to be working,” she admitted reluctantly.

“Give it to me!” he yanked it out of her hands and waved it over her, the machine beeped and clicked and a small roll of paper printed out, “seems to be working just fine!” with that he handed it back to her.

She flinched a bit as the instrument was shoved, roughly, into her hands and tried again. The Master’s smirk was not helping her confidence level as the machine remained silent. Watching her with an increasing frown of frustration Kevin wanted to scream but instead through tightly clenched teeth suggested that she move on to someone else.

She scanned Pete, then Violet and the device behaved as it should. Both were confirmed as human, although Violet had trace elements of non-human contact, not much of a surprise there, Kevin snorted as he read the print out.

Opening the cell door, and making sure the guards were at the ready the woman stepped into the cell that held John and The Doctor. The wand went completely dead again when she tried to scan the unconscious man on the cot. But rather than risk the ire of her boss again, she quickly moved on to the brown suited man who was, for some odd reason, grinning at her like a demented Cheshire cat.

The machine went wild as it passed over this man’s thin form. It beeped and flashed and whirred as it vibrated in her hand. It was growing hot to the touch before she had gotten to his waist. As she bent to scan his legs the device made a loud popping sound and burst into flames. She yelped and dropped it to the floor.

Kevin, who had been watching this with keen interest scowled at the poor woman as if she had planned this, “did it finish the scan?” he asked as she frantically stomped the fire out.

“It did not,” she brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes, and blew out a long breath.

“I don’t suppose we have another one of those?” he gestured at the melted smouldering heap.

“That was it, we got it from that ship that we shot down two years ago…” she shrugged helplessly as she left the cell, closing the door behind her.

Kevin was silent for what seemed like an eternity to the white coat clad woman. He sighed heavily and then turned with a glare to the still smiling brown suited man, “I don’t know how you did that, John, but you will regret it, I promise you.”

He turned to the woman in the lab coat, “since he thinks he’s so clever, we will do a scan the old fashioned way. Prepare the operating room; it’s time for some exploratory surgery. We’re going to open him up and see what we find!”

Once they were alone again Violet leaned in towards the cell across the way, “you mind telling me what the hell is going on?”

“In a second,” The Doctor pulled out the sonic screwdriver and aimed it at the security camera. Something clicked inside it, “I cut the sound...” he explained as he put the device back in his pocket.

“I’m still waiting!” Violet prompted.

“What was the question again?” The Doctor smiled winningly.

“What the hell is going on? Specifically why is The Master loose, what happened to John and why are you pretending to be him?”

“The hell that is going on is that we’re playing a simple shell game. I’m ‘pretending’ to be John to throw them off. The Master is loose because he used a very basic perception filter to block their instruments, which I also used on John. The scanning device blew up, I know you didn’t ask but I thought you might want to know…”

“And he wants to brag,” The Master snorted his eyes never leaving the two remaining guards who appeared to be arguing about a football match rather than observing their charges.

“Ignore him,” The Doctor advised, “the device blew up because I had my hand in my pocket and blasted it with a pulse from the screwdriver.”

“They’re going to operate on you,” Violet replied, “they will probably kill you, this isn’t funny.”

“Oh but it is,” The Doctor smiled widely, “believe me, it will be hilarious.”


	19. Chapter 19

By the time she had recovered from the TARDIS’ ministrations Jackie realised that David was planning on returning to Torchwood, “you can’t go charging in there! Oo, you are so like your counterpart. What do you think you’re going to accomplish by storming in there on your own?”

“I wasn’t going to ‘storm’,” David countered as he slipped on and tied his shoes.

“No one’s returned so you just know they’ve been nicked, why’re you in such a hurry to do the same thing?” she stood in front of him hands on her hips, “you are so much like that impulsive son-in-law of mine I have no doubt you’re his other Earth’s version! You could get yourself killed!”

“I hope not!” David laughed nervously, “you don’t have to come, in fact it’d probably be better if you stayed here.”

Not exactly sure why she felt so protective of his almost-duplicate of John, and wanting to stop him from coming to harm Jackie thought quickly. Changing her tone to a simper and softening her features she leaned in closely, “I am scared on my own, it’s so lonely out here and I can’t defend myself. I need protection too! After all it’s my husband, and daughter in peril, and I am all alone!”

“If you keep yourself in here,” he gestured around the console room, “door shut, no one can get in.”

Seeing that her words did have an impact on him Jackie went for broke, “you seem like a decent bloke, would you abandon a poor defenceless woman?”

Recalling how she had backed him up against the TARDIS and given him a piece of her mind earlier, David couldn’t quite picture Jackie as helpless. She probably could bring down Torchwood with one of her high volume rants, and that near-lethal finger poke, he rubbed his chest where the bruise still lingered.

“I can’t stay here and do nothing,” he replied.

“John sent you out for a reason and I think it was to protect me!” she tried one last time.

Just as David was going to counter that she was safe inside the TARDIS the time capsule rocked violently one way sending Jackie to the floor with a loud thud, then back the other way making her roll to the jump seat to slam her head against a rail. The lights flickering as she tumbled crazily along swearing as she went.

Once the rocking stopped Jackie pulled herself off the floor, “safe?” she screeched, “safe? You call being thrown about like a pinball safe?” Then she whirled on David, “why weren’t you falling about?”

“I held on,” he shrugged. Rising to his feet he walked over to the windows peering out, “I think the debate whether or not to go back into Torchwood has been decided for us.”

Jackie joined him at the window and saw the back of a flat bed lorry as they bumped along. Looking into the distance she saw the loading dock fast approaching, “you said they can’t get in, are you sure?”

“Relatively. Unless they have a key, which if they have the others, they just might,” David admitted with a sigh. As he finished speaking he turned back to the woman, realising she was staring at him, “what?”

“Why, if you are John in a parallel world do you have a Scottish accent?”

“Parallel doesn’t equal identical,” he quickly replied, “and I think we have a bit more important things to worry about right now.”

“I am going to let that slide for now,” Jackie groused, “but I will get a straight answer from one of you tall skinny things, believe me!”

\-------

John’s eyes finally opened and he immediately regretted the effort. The lights in, wherever he was, were blindingly bright and seeming to be shining directly in his face. He tried to raise his hands to shield his eyes only to find that he couldn’t move, “please tell me I’m still dreaming…”

“If you are you have some pretty disturbing dreams,” a voice replied from nearby. By turning his still throbbing head he was able to see The Doctor on a surgical table nearby, similarly restrained.

“This doesn’t look good,” John sighed closing his eyes again.

“Appearances can be deceiving,” came the cheery reply, “it’s not as bad as it seems!”

“How in the world can this not be as bad as it seems?” John’s eyes flew open and he glared at the Time Lord, “if I don’t miss my guess this isn’t some sort of kinky spa treatment! I’m assuming we’re experiments one and two and about to be dissected!”

“I don’t know what sort of spas you’ve visited because none of the ones I’ve been to have been this, um, extreme,” The Doctor puzzled, “although there was this misunderstanding on Thrace, I mistranslated the word for massage into massacre which really isn’t the same thing no matter how you look at it!”

Wishing they had gagged the other man as well as strapping him down John waited until The Doctor had talked himself out before continuing, “what’s the grand plan now?”

“I suspect they’ll try to sedate us and then go in scalpel’s blazing,” The Doctor replied his tone mild like he was talking about the weather instead of being sliced apart.

“I meant your plan!” John hissed, his teeth clenched.

“I’m still working on that,” the Time Lord admitted with a cheeky smile.

“Don’t want to rush you or anything, but it appears we are working in a time crunch here!”

“Then it would probably be in your best interest to shut up and let me think,” The Doctor snapped back.

Picturing strangling the Time Lord, John’s spirits lifted a slight bit as he lay back against the surgical table with a half smile.


	20. Chapter 20

The Master watched with interest as Kevin gave a lecture, to what he could only assume were some brand of flunkies, about the exploratory surgery they planned to perform on the twin patients in the operating room. As the pudgy and frankly odorous man talked about anaesthesia he snorted. Kevin shot him a look, but continued on until he got to the part about what sort of surgical instruments they would use and The Master snorted again. Finally he whirled on the man he knew as Paul Jones, "what is your problem?" he snapped.

"First of all you can't sedate either of them with those compounds. In fact you try it you're just going to make them psychotic...or more so," The Master offered.

"Then what do you suggest?" one of the assembled white coats asked.

The Master pretended to consider this and then replied with a smirk, "got any really large mallets?"

The man stared at him a moment then turned back to Kevin, "we may need to run some more tests before we do this."

One of the women piped up, "can't we just stick them in an MRI instead?"

It was apparent that Kevin was out for blood and wanted to cut open the subjects in the most invasive way but even he stopped short of wanting them conscious for this. He had no taste for torture, he had witnessed it when a particularly hostile alien was captured, and was sick all over himself and couldn't keep food down for days afterwards.

Decision made Kevin ordered a round of less satisfying tests to be attempted first, after all, he consoled himself, it wasn't that he was inhumane!

\-------

Violet had been on the verge of tears as they carted off The Doctor and John, to what was certainly going to be their deaths. Pete was a wise man and knew nothing he could say would be of any comfort to her so he just offered the comfort of his arms holding her in a fatherly embrace.

When Kevin returned to the cell block, his face a mask of frustration she allowed herself to hope that her friend and her husband were still alive. He stomped over to the glass, determined to make someone as unhappy as he was, "we've reconsidered, for now, our game plan. But don't think I won't see to it that you suffer as much as you've made me suffer!"

Pete glanced up at him coolly, "you do not even know the meaning of the word, yet. When I get out of here, and note I said 'when' not 'if'! When I get out of here I will show you the true definition of suffering."

"Big talk for someone safely behind bars," Kevin sneered. He immediately lost his bravado as Pete rushed the glass to tower over him, making him stumble backwards.

"If you harm one hair on their heads, you will wish you never crawled out of the slime that you were obviously created from," Pete continued, his voice deadly quiet in sharp contrast to his words, "if you're lucky I will just make you a mindless, homeless junkie."

Before he could stop himself Kevin asked, "and if I'm not lucky?" he stammered out before immediately regretting his question.

Violet strained to hear Pete's reply as he put his lips to one of the ventilation holes and hissed out his response. Whatever his answer was, Kevin lost all colour in his face and looked like he was about to be violently ill. Blinking rapidly and swallowing hard the man backed away from the cell, not taking his eyes from Pete until he was across the corridor then he turned and quickly walked away.

Waiting until the man was out of sight Pete turned back around to face his step daughter, his face still grim but his eyes softening as he focused on her.

"What did you say to him?" Violet asked.

"It doesn't matter, pet," he smiled at her warmly, "let's just leave it at I gave him something to think about."

She was dying to know but also knew that pressing him would get her no where she let the matter drop for now, "I didn't see David anywhere, so it's likely he's not captured, thank god!" she started then she caught Pete smiling even more widely at her, "what?"

"Let's talk about him shall we?" Pete prompted, "you get this strange look on your face when you mention this 'David' fella. Exactly who is he?"

Violet was so surprised by Pete's words that she could only stare at him. Her mind froze, and her mouth refused to form even the most basic of lies.

"Come on love," Pete sat down next to her putting his arm around her shoulder, "you can talk to me!"

She gazed into her step father's eyes pleadingly, 'please don't ask again' she prayed in her mind knowing that the truth was so close to rushing out of her mouth, she clamped her jaw shut hoping she could hold it back.


	21. Chapter 21

As Pete watched her expectantly Violet's mind whirled as she tried to come up with a convincing answer that was not the truth. She knew he was not stupid so whatever she said would have to sound at the very least plausible.

Luckily she was saved by Kevin's return, this time he didn't get very close to the glass, rather stood a distance away flanked by guards, "we found the blue box," he announced in the same tone a child would use on Christmas morning while looking at a pile of gifts, "we haven't, as yet, gained access but I know it is tied into our unusual duplicates. As I recall there were three look-a-likes. Where is the third?" he leaned in to glare at Violet.

"I don't know what you've been snorting mate," Violet kept her tone casual, "but boxes? Triplets? What are you on about?"

Kevin stepped back, "you're not fooling me! I know that box contains something important."

"Your dignity, hopefully," she shot back.

Pete laughed at this, especially when Kevin reeled back as if she had slapped him. His face turned red and he tapped the glass, "I will find out what's going on, and when I do, you're all doomed!" he shouted before storming off once again.

The guards exchanged looks, mostly of exasperation before following him. One mumbled as he went, "stay, go, come back, I hope we get reimbursed for the wear and tear on our boots!"

Feeling satisfied with herself Violet turned back around, Pete was still sitting on the cot and she could tell by the intent look on his face the previous subject was not about to be dropped.

"Triplets?" Pete asked, "there's John and The Doctor, who's the third?"

Before she could stop herself Violet replied, "David," then she immediately put her hands to her mouth covering it to stop more words from spilling out. She looked at her step father beseechingly, her eyes pleading for him to not press her further. He smiled softly and gave a slight nod, letting her know that he would cut her a break, for now. But it was clear the matter was not dropped.

\-----

Once the TARDIS came to rest in what appeared to be a storage room of some sort, David waited until he could not longer hear voices before peeking out the window and then slowly opening the door. The coast appeared to be clear so he started to step out, but Jackie caught him by the sleeve, "don't do it, stay with me!"

"I can't, but if you shut the door after me, no one will get in," he shook his head sadly.

Her begging eyes quickly grew hard, "then I'm coming with you! I don't know what it is about all of you skinny blokes, but you need a woman around to keep you from trouble!" she shut the TARDIS door behind her with a slam.

David flinched, "please, we have to keep it quiet, the idea is to not be detected!"

"I can be quiet!" she groused, "in fact I can be so quiet that even a mouse would sound deafening by comparison!" with that she stomped off in the direction of the door, her shoes clacking as she went.

Sighing heavily, David trotted to catch up to her, knowing that it was just going to be a matter of time before they were caught.

\--------

Getting an MRI of the captives was easier said than done. Deciding that the brown suited twin was a bit more cooperative than the scowling one in scrubs, they loaded him onto the bed portion of the machine and slid him inside. That part, at least, went smoothly. It wasn't until they had started the scan things went haywire.

The minute the scanner reached the top of his head the readings went off the charts. and the images appearing on the monitors first jumped from what appeared to be a Pterodactyl to picking up some 1960s era cartoon.

The technician stopped the machine, ran some recalibration and restarted it. The minute it clicked on sparks started to fly from the controls and the lights flickered in time with the smoke bursts coming out of the back of it.

Quickly releasing the occupant one of the aides unplugged the machine and gave it a few blasts with a fire extinguisher just as the smoke alarms went off.

The Doctor calmly sat down next to the shackled John and smiled like a naughty school boy. John couldn't help but laugh at the chaos caused by the recent events as the people inside the lab ran about like chickens with their heads cut off.

"OK, spill," he turned to the Time Lord, "how did you do that?"

"Simple," he pulled a small blue disc from his pocket, "this is a field generator, I set it to resonate at a higher frequency than the machine itself and it basically shook itself apart."

"Don't suppose I can borrow that when it's my turn?" John asked, but just then the machine made a loud pop and the cover over one of the panels flew off, "although," he amended eyes following the arc of the bit of metal as it tumbled through the air, "that may not be for a while."


	22. Chapter 22

The Master watched as John and The Doctor were escorted back to their cells, he had been talking to Kevin, exercising his lying skills, and had the gullible human almost believing everything he had told him.

He had managed, in a short time to convince the man to show him around the weapons rooms, and had impressed him with the knowledge he possessed. The Master had, of course, not told him one scrap of truth, labeling hair dryers as deadly weapons, and deadly weapons as hair dryers, etc. And while he dazzled the idiot with his information had managed to pocket the more compact devices. So many in fact that it was a wonder he didn't clang as he walked along.

John was the first to spot the return of The Master and seemed less than happy to see him, "are you planning on doing anything constructive, aside from nicking everything that isn't nailed down?"

"I am doing something constructive," The Master sniffed, "I am keeping the moron busy while you two wonder brains think of a plan. You do have a plan don't you?"

The Doctor had been off in his own world and it took him a second to realise that his fellow Time Lord was addressing him, he arched his eyebrows and smiled apologetically, "repeat the question?"

As The Master asked again, John sighed and sat down on the cot, rubbing his head where the guard had hit him with the gun barrel earlier, "we're doomed," he breathed out.

"Now let's not be negative," the thin Time Lord chided him, "I do have a plan, as a matter of fact."

"Care to tell us what is it?" Violet called out from across the way. Ever since her aborted and awkward conversation with Pete she had been avoiding being too near her step father, hoping that by putting physical space between them, the questioning would not start up again.

Looking down the hall way The Doctor reached out with the sonic and unlocked the cell down and walked about casually. John gaped at him for a moment, "if you could have done that at any time why didn't you?"

"I wanted to be sure we were all here and all safe!" The Doctor explained with a grin, repeating the same action on Pete's cell, he looked around with a satisfied expression, "and now that we are, let's go!"

"They're not going to let you..." The Master started.

"Us," Violet corrected him, linking her arm in his tightly.

He tried to pull out of her grasp only to have her lock on further, clearing his throat he continued, "they're not going to let us just walk out of here!"

John slipped his hand into the Time Lord's pocket and pulled out a small arsenal, "no but thanks to your thieving ways, we are not exactly unarmed," he tossed a couple of the weapons at Violet and Pete.

"If we do this right," The Doctor countered frowning with distaste at the armaments, "we won't encounter anyone. I got a blip on the sonic, the TARDIS is in the building, and all we need to do is get to her and get out of here."

"Don't you think they'll be guarding it?" John asked, as he examined one of the weapons he had taken from The Master.

"You can't go in there weapons blazing!" the thin Time Lord snapped.

"And you can't talk everyone to death!" John shot back, "as much as you want to pretend otherwise sometimes weapons are necessary!"

The Doctor smiled softly, and tapped John lightly on the temple, "the only weapons we need are in there," and pulling his hand back to tap his own forehead, "and in here. We don't need guns."

Pete spoke up, "let's hope it doesn't come to that, we have these weapons, yes but we're not going to be able to hold off everyone should they come for us."

"Rather than standing here waiting for the guards to return," Violet began, then frowned, "why haven't they returned?" she glanced up at the cameras.

"I took them out," The Doctor grinned, "while you were all playing with your toys. But Pete's right, they're going to notice the cameras are out of order and will come to investigate, best we get moving!"


	23. Chapter 23

The absence of guards was due to the fact that most of them were now surrounding two more intruders with their weapons drawn. Kevin was alerted that yet another duplicate of the two he had already stashed in the cells was discovered. As he made his way to the store rooms he wondered if he was going to have nightmares of whole platoons of tall, skinny men with deep dark eyes swarming Torchwood.

This new one was accompanied by Pete's wife, her loud voice going on at top volume about something or another was evident way before he opened the large heavy doors that let him into the scene of the crime, so to speak. He almost felt sorry for the guards as her voice grated on his nerves after just a few seconds of being exposed to it.

He opened the door to see Jackie, hands cuffed behind her but still trying to gesture with them as she belly ached, the third duplicate was not yet cuffed but had his hands in his pockets as the guards tried to get a word in edgewise.

"Who are you?" Kevin demanded walking up to the man.

The man opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by Jackie whirling on the two of them, "I demand to be let go! I insist you take me to see my husband!"

Kevin tried again, "and you are?" he started.

"Oi! greasy boy! I'm talking to you!" Jackie shouted.

The duplicate closed his mouth with a click and shrugged his shoulders. Kevin almost felt sorry for this new arrival, especially if he had been stuck with the haranguing woman for any length of time.

"Shut her up!" Kevin commanded, and one of the guards removed a roll of gaffer's tape from the pouch at his side and applied two strips to her mouth. Then came the collective sigh of relief as the noise level dropped in the room.

"Take them to the holding area!" he barked at the guards, then he added, "but put them in separate cells," he flashed a smile at the duplicate, not sure why he felt the need to be merciful to this one.

\---------

John was the first to hear the approaching footsteps, The Doctor and The Master were arguing about the pockets full of ill gotten goods the dark suited Time Lord had stolen, while Violet and Pete seemed to be both off in their own worlds. He stopped to listen hoping the sounds he was hearing were the echoes of their own progress through the halls, but quickly realised it was not.

Getting everyone's attention proved to be harder than it should have been. Finally he pushed up to the front of the group and turned to face them, holding his hands up, that worked, "listen," he whispered, and luckily they did.

Violet indicated that they all pile into the boiler room and they had just pushed in the door closing at the guards approached. Through the crack she could see David and Jackie being marched past. Jackie's face was bright red, in sharp contrast to the black gaffer's tape secured around her mouth.

John, who was looking over her shoulder, barely suppressing a giggle at that last sight. How often had he wished to do the same thing to his Mother-in-law? It took a sharp elbow jabbed into his stomach to get him to stop as Violet glared up at him.

The Master waited until the group had filed by, eyeing the rest of the occupants of the room his shoulders slumped, "but we just got out of there!" he whinged.

"We can't leave them," The Doctor replied reasonably, "but there's no need for all of us to go back. John, you take The Master and head towards the TARDIS, if I don't miss my guess it's just four lefts and a short right to the storage area."

"I'm not leaving you and Violet on your own!" John protested at the time as The Master objected to going anywhere with the 'half-breed'.

The Doctor blew out a long breath, "Violet knows this place better than any of us..."

"Except me," Pete piped up. He had been so quiet The Doctor had forgotten about him.

"Then it's settled, Pete will stay with me," the thin Time Lord agreed, "and the rest of you head towards the TARDIS."

"I want to stay and help out," Violet protested, "after all she's my mother and David's my...." she stopped there. Pete was leaning towards her, anticipating finally finding out who this David person was to his step-daughter, but she caught herself in time, and covered with, "my friend."

Stealing a glance at John, she could tell by his expression that he had expected her to blurt out the truth, and was conflicted on how he felt by her not too terribly convincing lie.

"Friend?" The Master snorted, his eyes dancing with mischief, "he's more than...ouch! What did you do that for?" he yelped grabbing his shin. The Doctor had kicked him, hard, with one trainer clad foot and was glaring at him.

Recovering quickly The Doctor slipped off the control bracelet for the stasis collar around The Master's neck and handed it to John, "you may need this," he grimaced, "now Pete, come with me, the rest of you do as I say!"

With that the two men left the storage closet, Pete blew Violet a kiss as he left. She smiled wistfully and mouthed, "good luck," as the door shut behind them.


	24. Chapter 24

Kevin linked his arm in David's, "so tell me, why are there three of you?" he asked conspiratorially.

"There's only one of me," David replied staring straight ahead.

Not put off by that answer Kevin continued, "right now in the cells I have the one they call The Doctor, the alien John and now you, all with the same face."

"I have to go where you tell me because you have armed men with guns pointed at me. But I don't have to 'chat' with you," David kept his voice steady, "and I certainly don't think this makes us friends."

Kevin let go of the actor and stepped back, his face red, "if you have a shred of anything suspect in your DNA I will see to it that you are on the receiving end of very painful and perhaps fatal experimentation!" he hissed.

"As if you wouldn't just make it up to justify your actions even if I don't," David replied evenly.

Jackie wished she could talk to the thin man, he was obviously upset and certainly had John's bravado but she also knew that making this jumped up little man angry was not in his best interest.

The minute they hit the cell block the focus of Kevin's anger changed. The cells were all empty, "who was supposed to be watching these?" he shouted.

One of the guards pulled out a duty roster, "Jackson and Majors, but they went on tea break," he replied.

"That's it, I'm through playing games, take him to Room 42 and introduce him to Apega!" Kevin barked.

Noting the way the guards went pale at this David asked, "what's Apega?"

"Oh mate, believe me you don't wanna know," one of the guards groaned.

Jackie was thrown in the cell that Pete had formerly been housed in, but the gaffer's tape was not removed. She mentally added this to her list of things she would get even with the greasy little twerp once she got out.

Kevin followed the guards and their latest find to Room 42, he kept waiting for David to ask him what the Apega was, but the tall Scot remained silent. He had never used the device, no one knew its exact origin but he had found it in a disused storage locker when cataloguing and was pleased to find it still worked.

They had dubbed the thing Apega is a joke, based on the legend of the deadly statue of the woman by the same name from ancient Greece.

He knew the theory behind its function but had never used it, the original purpose of it was lost but he planned to use it now and hopefully find out what he needed to know.

\------

Picturing in his mind the slow, deliberate way The Doctor and Pete would carry out this 'rescue mission' John's nerves were on edge. By the time they had worked their way, carefully, methodically, to the cells David could be in a million pieces. Had he room to pace he would have, but he would have run his wife and The Master down if he tried.

Mind made up he removed the control bracelet from his wrist, snapping it onto his wife's arm. Then he gave Violet a quick peck on the cheek and was out the door before anyone knew what was going on. Violet tried to go after him but found she was being held back, "let me go," she hissed, glaring at The Master.

"Just because your impulsive spouse has a death wish," he replied, "doesn't mean you have to."

"Why do you even care?" she shot back.

That seemed to puzzle him, "maybe I've been hanging around The Doctor too long? Perhaps his 'save the world' attitude is rubbing off?" he shuddered at that thought.

"Or maybe you just want to use me as bait?" Violet offered.

"Yes! That's it, whew, thank Rassilon for a moment there I thought I was becoming nice!" he chortled.

"No chance of that," she countered.


	25. Chapter 25

Trailing behind the armed party as they led David to the mysterious Room 42 John searched his, or more accurately, The Doctor’s memory. Why did the name Apega sound familiar? Wracking his brains as he trailed the men he almost retrieved it from the vast stores of the Time Lord’s, now his, impressive storehouse of knowledge.

They stopped at a room with a clearly marked plaque declaring it to be 42 on it. As the doors swung open John bit back a gasp. Now he remembered, The Apega of Nabis, the famed torture device, the first known example of an iron maiden. The dull silver device was opened and the shape was roughly humanoid, but this was no mediaeval relic. Set in the back was a serious of small spikes with sharp tipped wires sticking out of the ends, more spikes and wires lined half panel that made up the front of the machine and the whole thing beeped and hummed with electricity.

Seeing that the guards were leading David to this machine, John figured it was time to make his presence known.

“Kevin!” he called out, “yoo hoo!” he waved cheerily at the startled man as he stepped into the room.

The guards quickly surrounded him, prodding him to move forward until he was standing right in front of the heavily breathing Kevin, “how did you get out?” the man panted.

“The Doctor has a few tricks up his sleeve,” he shrugged, taking a moment to wink at David over the other man’s shoulder.

“I thought you were The Doctor,” came the perplexed reply.

“No that was a bit of fun on his part. He likes toying with inferior and simple minded creatures,” John continued, his smile never wavering, “besides you can’t really have been fooled by that?” he laughed.

“Then you are John!”

“Thanks for telling me that, I usually put my name on my vests but I seem to have forgotten to do that and have been calling myself F&F all day,” he pulled on his collar and pretended to read it.

Kevin scowled at him but chose to ignore his words, “if you’re John and the brown suited man is The Doctor, then who is he?”

“I can hear you, you know. I’m not deaf,” David sighed, “and if you wanted to know my name why didn’t you just ask me?”

“What’s more interesting than names,” John cut in, “is that device, specifically what you plan to use it for?”

“I was going to put,” Kevin hesitated, gesturing at David looking for him to supply his name. When no help came he pressed on, “him, in the machine, to test both it and him out. But now I think I’d rather use it on you first. After all it may only have power enough for one use, we can’t seem to find any external outlets, and it may prove fatal for the subject.”

John nodded amiably, “sure! Why kill him when you can kill me?” then his smile dropped, “but you’d better be sure if you harm him, I will find a way to make you regret it, even if I have come back from the grave to haunt you as a ghost. I promise you I will sit on the end of the bed when you’re trying to sleep or in the unlikely event you have a lady friend over and I’ll make loud, rude noises.”

“You can’t be serious,” Kevin laughed, but he stopped when it was apparent by the dangerous look in the man’s dark eyes that he was, indeed, quite serious. Deadly serious, in fact.

“I can’t let you do that,” David protested.

“Shut him up!” Kevin ordered and the guard raised his rifle butt as if to strike him but John broke free and grabbed the man’s arm, twisting it painfully behind his back until he dropped the weapon.

“I meant what I said. I will voluntarily get into that thing for you, satisfy your blood lust and whatever sick fantasies you have had regarding this thing will be fulfilled, but you harm one hair on his head, and all deals are off,” John hissed, as the guard cried out in pain, still crumpled at his feet.

The other guards looked at Kevin expectantly, waiting for him to give the order to shoot or something but he just waved them off, “it’s a deal,” he nodded, “but I have to know who is he that you would lay down your life for him?”

“Get used to disappointments,” John let go of the guard and wiped his hands on his jeans as if the man’s arm had somehow coated them with dust.

Kevin gaped at the tall man for what seemed to be a bit longer than was decent, then he snapped his mouth shut, “put him,” he pointed at David, “into the observation area, can’t have him interrupting the experiment. If he tries anything, use a sedative dart, but don’t hurt him.”

At that David was swooped up and carried off, he tried to fight them off but he was out-manned and outnumbered and before his feet touched the ground again he was locked in a small glass panelled room a metre away from the menacing looking device.

John watched the proceedings carefully, and waited until the door to the observation room was locked with David safely inside before turning back to Kevin. “Now how should we play this? Do I get one last wish? Or a cigarette and a blindfold?” he asked casually.

Wondering if he could ever be that brave in the face of torture Kevin felt a small hint of admiration for this alien standing before him. Until he remembered that this thing was in some ways responsible for his public disgrace. He fished in his pocket and held out a pack of cigarettes, “knock yourself out,” he shook one free and held it out.

“No thanks, I don’t smoke, those things can kill you!” John laughed, then he stepped closer to the machine, “so how does this work?” he asked peering inside it.


	26. Chapter 26

Pete had tapped into the main computer as The Doctor kept look out, “there’s a power surge in Room 42,” he informed the Time Lord.

“What’s in Room 42?” The Doctor asked, pulling out his glasses from his jacket pocket and leaning into the monitor.

“Nothing good,” Pete replied leaning back, “that room is where I put the things that we find that are ….well not to put too fine a point on it, not beneficial. Sometimes the technology we get a hold of seems to have only one purpose; to inflict pain.”

“Torture devices,” The Doctor breathed out, running a hand distractedly through his hair.

“Exactly,” Pete nodded, “we have many forms of thumb screw type pieces. One thing that looked like a regular bit of cardboard but unfolded and shot out darts that caused convulsions, madness and eventually death…”

“Oh, was it about this big?” the Time Lord held up his hands to indicate something roughly the size of a shoe box.

“Yes!”

“That would be an Argolin mace, which of course is misnamed, but that’s what they call it, you’re lucky that was all it did, I saw one that…”

Pete knew that The Doctor was off on a tangent but didn’t have the patience to wait it out, “anyway, the point is that area is off bounds unless you have the highest clearance. Only me and Violet have access to it!”

“And now does someone else.”

“If it’s Kevin he isn’t going to muck about with thumb screws, he’s after the Apega!” Pete’s eyes grew wide with horror, “and since he has your friend, I’m guessing he’s planning on using it on him.” He turned back to the monitor then to The Doctor again. 

Or rather where he had last seen The Doctor. As he glanced around the area he was completely alone. The only thing he heard was the sound of someone running. He closed the terminal and took off after him.

\--------

Violet opened the door, “I’m going and since I have the bracelet, you’re coming too.”

The Master sighed dramatically, “why are all humans, no matter what dimension they’re from, have all the survival instincts of a lemming?”

“I know the idea of being concerned about anyone other than yourself is completely foreign to you but my friend, my mother, my step-father, my husband and my son are in danger,” Violet hissed.

“Yes your son...tell me my dear,” The Master cooed, “are you ever planning on telling your dear parents about him? You must be ashamed of having a mongrel like him if you’re not willing to admit he’s your child.”

“It’s not like that,” Violet’s voice was soft. Then she grabbed him by the lapels, “I am not in the mood for your stupid mind tricks, if you don’t cut it out I’ll press the button on your collar that puts you in stasis and let them find you! I’m pretty sure your ‘Paul Jones’ ruse won’t keep you safe forever.”

Giving him a good shake she let him go, “and stop calling him a mongrel!”

Figuring it was best to move away from needling the silly human female, for now, The Master pretended to be impressed by her little hissy fit and kept quiet for a bit. As they walked along he pulled some of his treasures from his pockets, humming with delight as they powered up.

One loud beep made Violet turn around, “what was that?” she asked.

“This,” The Master held up the small almost day-glow green weapon, “is Canisian hand cannon. It may not look like much but it’s capable of taking out a building twice this size with a single blast.”

“I’ll take that, thank you,” Violet snatched it out of his hands, “may come in handy.”

“You can keep that one, I have two more,” the Time Lord waved her off.

“How did you manage to nick all this stuff with everyone watching you?” Violet wondered.

“While The Doctor was talking them to death and you were acting like a spoilt child denied sweets I took advantage of the attention not being focused on me,” The Master chortled.

“Don’t think of using any of that stuff on me,” Violet warned him, “if I feel the least bit uncomfortable,” she pushed up her sleeve and gestured at the bracelet, “zap!”

“So noted,” The Master sniffed.

“Now stop making enough noise to wake the dead and shift!” she pushed him forward, “and I think it would be best if you walked up front, better to keep my eyes on you!”

\-------

David looked around the observation room for something he could use to break the glass and get to John before he got strapped into the iron maiden thing and it was too late. The only chairs were soft plastic and bounced harmlessly off the window. The guards didn’t even look his way as he tried them out.

The drawers set in the wall yielded note books, some dried up ink pens and a set of earphones, but that was it.

He had seen an iron maiden in a museum when he was a boy, he remembered the guide going into gory detail as to how it worked. This thing, what Kevin had referred to as the Apega, seemed less crude but no less deadly. From his point of view he could see the stiff spikes, the tips gleaming with exposed wires and could imagine that once a person was inside and the thing armed…he shuddered stopping his mind’s eye from going any further.

He wished The Doctor was here. One blast of the sonic and the window would be in a million pieces. All he could do was watch helplessly as John stepped into the machine.


	27. Chapter 27

The device clamped metal strips across John’s ankles, wrists and forehead immediately upon it being closed, holding him still. The wires ventured out of the spikes and he could feel them snaking under his shirt, slowly brushing against his spine, seeking. Almost tickling like the touch of a lover as they moved against his back. Other wires wrapped around his arms, again tapping and brushing against his skin, tentatively like they were sizing him up. He could hear the machine humming louder, the information the probing wires were sending back to whatever it used to process the information causing it to almost sing.

Then it went still.

Kevin had placed small cameras in key areas of the device watched the images on a flat screen monitor and had linked a feed to the TV in the observation room so David could see the action as well. Both men watched the progress, one with an almost feral look of interest, the other with horror more than fascination.

Their reactions to the machine going still were a study in contrasts as well. Kevin ground his teeth in frustration wondering if John had someone managed to trip the off switch, while David blew out a sigh of relief thinking the device had died.

They both were wrong.

In the next moment the machine gave a loud whirl and the wires lunged forward, setting upon the man held in its grip like a pack of wolves. The first punctured the base of his spine, sending white hot tendrils of fire through his body. Then in rapid succession five more wires pushed their way into his back, each one slightly higher than the last, stopping at the juncture where the head met the neck.

At the same time the cocoon of wires that had formed around his arms dove into his veins, pushing in deep. Tunnelling in, causing his skin to ripple as they made their way seemingly to his heart. Had he the breath to do it he would have screamed. But before he could make a sound the last wire, thicker than its fellow kind jabbed into the back of his skull and he went limp.

This was more than Kevin had ever imagined. He felt a shiver of excitement as he watched the alien jerk and twitch, teeth clamped tightly together, barely holding back the noises he couldn’t control as the machine went to work. But then it went silent again. He tapped the screen, the wires stopped moving, and nothing was being done, the lights inside ceased their flashing.

Next thing that happened was that the power in the room, possibly the whole building, cut completely, the only sound was his frantic heart beat. Before he could locate the fuse box they flashed back on, brighter than normal before one by one the long fluorescent tubes burst sending shards of glass flying.

Cabling, normally secured in the walls, broke through the plaster and danced liked possessed serpents, as ceiling tiles crashed to the ground.

Kevin tried to reach the door but a thick cable broke through the tiles under him to wrap itself around his leg throwing him to the floor, “what in hell is going on?” he shouted as he was dragged across the shards of glass being pulled towards the machine.

The answer came from the thin man in the brown suit who seemed to appear out of nowhere, “that’s an Etban control module,” he gestured at the machine, “it’s essentially a living engine, a main frame computer with a pulse and you’ve given it access to your building’s infrastructure!”

“But it’s not plugged into anything!” Kevin protested as his world suddenly turned upside down as he was lifted from the floor by one leg.

“You didn’t look underneath it,” The Doctor shook his head sadly, “I assure you it is…” he started but the person he was speaking to was now being shaken, violently, back and forth and it was obvious he was no longer listening to what the Time Lord had to say. He was too busy screaming.

Pete was busy as well, picking the lock to the observation room to free David. After a few sweat producing moments he got the door open. Once he did the actor ran out to stand in front of the machine, “we have to get him out of there!” he tried to get the machine open and was rewarded with a shock that set him on his rear.

Before he could get back to his feet the room seemed to explode around them and the machine moved forward. The Doctor grabbed him and pulled him into the hallway, “we can’t just yank him out of there,” he explained patiently as he shut what remained of the door, leaning against it, “the machine is now part of him, it's tapped into his very cored, into his central nervous system and if we cut the power it will take him down too.”

“So what do we do?” David asked looking back into the room as the machine and its pilot inched towards them.

“I’m out of ideas,” the Time Lord admitted after a few moments of awkward silence.

“Could we try reasoning with it?” Pete offered.

“Be my guest,” The Doctor laughed, “but first, John does like you right?”

“I think so,” Pete responded slowly, “I mean we’ve had our disagreements…”

“Then best not. The machine is amplifying his rage, his anger and if you are even a slight bit on his bad side past, present or who knows, even future,” The Doctor was cut off as the limp form of Kevin came flying out of one of the holes in the wall to land in a crumpled heap in front of them, “it’s best to stay out of his way,” he concluded.

“We can’t just leave him in that thing!” David protested.

“Obviously not…” the Time Lord replied taking his eyes off of unconscious man. But David was no longer in the hallway he was back in the room, standing before the advancing machine.

“Is he insane?” Pete cried as the device loomed over the thin Scot, dwarfing him as it slid forward.

“That or very, very brave,” The Doctor shook his head in admiration.


	28. Chapter 28

The machine inched closer to David a small tendril of wire snaked out and brushed against his leg. He held his ground as it rose up, joined by more wires and wrapped itself loosely around his waist.

The Doctor saw this and ran into the room, frantically adjusting the sonic screwdriver as he went.

"Stay back!" David called out, "it's OK, it's not trying to harm me." At that the Time Lord stopped but held himself nearby just in case.

The wires were making a cocoon around the tall Scot, but unlike those inside the device, none of them attempted to pierce his skin. It was very claustrophobic, he had to had to admit, but at no time did he feel threatened. The cocoon grew more dense and the air inside was filled with a soft humming that almost sounded like a song and it began to sway gently back and forth.

Watching the ball of wires form around the actor, The Doctor's every instinct was to rescue him. He fairly vibrated as he stood watching the man disappear from sight. Pete had joined him, watching the spectacle with wide eyes and mouth slightly open, "what is going on?" he asked.

The Doctor didn't answer straight away, and when he did, his eyes never left the advancing machine and its strange appendage, "I am not sure, that isn't supposed to do that. It's like the primary programming is being rewritten, and now instead of..."

He broke off as Kevin came stumbling back into the room, "I wouldn't..." the Time Lord started but his warning was too late as a cable burst from the wall and wrapped itself around the man's neck lifting him off the floor.

Through the small opening in the chrysalis surrounding him David saw Kevin's ill advised reappearance and the result, "I know you're angry," he soothed, "but you really don't want him dead, that's letting him off awfully easily."

The cable gave the man in its grip a bit of a shake then set him down. Gasping for breath Kevin just stood there stunned for a moment before this feet seemed to get the message that getting out of there was a good idea.

As he passed Pete he was grabbed again, this time by two strong and luckily, human hands, "I'm not finished with you!" Pete hissed as he twisted the man's arms behind him securing them with a pair of handcuffs.

The Doctor looked at the cuffs, "do you always carry those around?" he asked in amazement.

Pete blushed a bit, "it's a long story..." he smiled, pulling another set out and securing Kevin to a post.

The device lurched forward the minute Kevin was locked in place wires shooting out to form a cage around him, pushing out from the walls, the ceiling and the floor they hid him from sight. Then the lights in the room went out.

There was an eerie silence for what seemed like an eternity. Then a small crackle broke the quiet, followed by several more. The cage around Kevin was throwing sparks, each snap was accompanied by a yelp from within.

"What's he doing?" Pete asked stepping back to avoid being hit by the sparks.

"Making him suffer," The Doctor eyed the cage looking for a way in but as soon as he got close enough to touch it a jolt shot out, knocking him to the floor. He took a deep breath and stood up again, "and it appears that interference isn't welcome."

"As much as I would like the little weasel to suffer," Pete snorted, "that sounds pretty unpleasant."

"It isn't enough to kill, obviously," the Time Lord replied as another cry of pain issued from the cage, "but it can't be good for him. I wish there was a way to reason with it."

The dark room was quiet again aside from the occasional sparks and cries from the cage. With each additional spark the bundle seemed to glow brighter. It appeared to be building up to something, but what?

In the glow The Doctor could see the pole that Kevin had been cuffed to start to work loose from its fittings, the plaster and screws that had formerly secured it rained down on them. Then it tilted at an alarming angle almost striking Pete as it broke free.

"Best if you get out..." The Doctor pulled the man away from the wreckage. The minute he did that the whole ceiling collapsed and the dust made further conversation impossible.


	29. Chapter 29

The security systems were the first things that were taken down once the Apega patched itself into the infrastructure. The alarms were silent the cameras black and the fire doors slammed shut. No one could get out and no one could get in. They were cut off from the outside world and each other.

Those guards who were a bit more ambitious tried to override the systems only to be rewarded with painful shocks as the building seemed to be fighting back.

Violet and The Master had only gotten as far as the stairwell when things started to go offline. None of the doors would open and only the emergency lighting keeping them from stumbling around in the dark.

It was hard, not knowing where they were going and who else may be trapped in the stairwell. The Master voted for staying put and waiting until the power was restored before moving but, unfortunately for him, the power to the stasis collar was unaffected by the black out and so wherever Violet went, he had to go too.

"This is ridiculous," he grumbled, "even if we reach the right floor, and it's impossible to tell if we are due to the lighted signs not living up to their names, we can't open the doors anyway!"

"But at least we'll be in place," Violet countered, "and besides on the main floor of the cells there is an emergency over ride access panel. It runs on battery for at least 24 hours, if that is still working we should be able to at least open that door."

"How wonderful," The Master rolled his eyes, a gesture almost useless in the dim light, "I can't wait. I am just trembling with excitement."

"Would you rather sit here and wait for the guards to find you?"

"I would rather be on the beaches of Hatinn holding a fine Venusian brandy in one hand and a hand rolled cigar in the other," the Time Lord replied, "but since that is apparently out of the question I'd settle for not having to spend time in a dust stairway with a whinging woman who has hair the colour of toilet bowl cleaner."

Violet was silent for a moment, "I'd rather not be stuck here with you either, but since I'm the one with the bracelet, you get to do what I want. Deal with it! Now come on!"

\---------

David's world had reduced down to just a few centimetres of wiggle room and wires for a bed. Inside the pod, the chaos going on in the room was completely blocked, everything was peaceful and quiet, aside from the humming. The sound increased as the cocoon rocked back and forth, not necessarily getting louder, it just felt like it was more insistent. His eyes were growing heavy and as much as he tried to fight it, sleep was creeping up on him. Unbeknownst to him the humming contained subliminal messages, urging him to give over to the lassitude that was slowly taking over.

Once the machine sensed he was completely asleep four wires broke free from the shell, thin wires almost the thickness of an eyelash fell into place. Two at his temples, one at the base of his skull and the other came to rest on at the base of his spine. Slowly, taken care not to cause their subject undue discomfort they slid into his skin, he twitched in his sleep, a soft moan escaping as they broke through. But soon he was still and quiet again as they finished their tasks.

The minute they touched his brain he jerked as if he was suffering a seizure but didn't wake as they downloaded the information from his mind to the central controller's. Then once that was down the performed the same task only in reverse.

Suddenly his mind was filled with anger, rage and confusion. He could feel everything John had ever thought or felt and it burned. The confusion of being born, fully grown, with no idea why and then to be abandoned by his creator with someone that loved the original but may not love the copy.

Those first days of uncertainty, cursing the life he was given. Wondering if it would have been better to end it before it got to be too much.

Despite John's outward public face that anger still was a white hot flame. He had all the rage and none of the wisdom that comes with the great age of the one who he was born from, it was hard to keep in under control.

Then it flashed on the thought that yes, as a human hybrid John's life would be much more brief than a Time Lord's but would be longer than a normal human. The fear of watching Violet age and die, leaving him alone yet again.

There were happy memories as well, but even in those moments the fear of the life and those he had come to rely on could be snatched away at any moment.

As the images came to an end David went still once more, his breathing coming in heavy gasps as if he had run a marathon. The cocoon filled with pure oxygen, easing the laboured breaths as it increased the rocking motion, but the wires did not retreat. Instead a few more worked their way in.

Now that the two were joined, it was time to take advantage of the power and bring this place down!


	30. Chapter 30

Following the sound of chaos Violet and The Master arrived at the lab just as the machine was nearing the hallway. It took a while for it all to sink in, but when she realised that John was trapped inside, somehow controlling it she grabbed The Doctor, "why haven't you gotten him out of there?" she screamed in his face as the wall tumbled down around them.

"The control panel is protected," he replied back, his voice raised only due to the noise around them, "the minute I tried to get to it I got knocked on my..." However he was going to finish that sentence was lost as he disappeared in a shower of plaster.

Pete tried to grab her as she approached the device but she shook out of his reach, to stand before it. The machine halted, all activity stopped as it whirred in place, "I know you're still in there," Violet almost whispered, "and I'm sure if you were given the choice you'd be free. Listen to me, not whatever this 'thing' is telling you to do."

The device inched forward a bit and thin wires reached out to touch Violet lightly on the face and shoulders, "you are angry and I don't blame you, but this is not the solution."

Seeing the wires begin to encase his step-daughter and remembering how they had completely engulfed David, Pete tried to pull her away, he was rewarded with a bolt of electricity that sent him flying.

"Now that was uncalled for," she softly chided the metal form, "he was just trying to protect me, if you were in his place you would have done that too."

The wires slipped around her waist now, gently pulling her towards the device, she planted her feet, "I can't touch you like this, and this isn't how you really want to touch me is it?" she continued, "I know you're clever and can work out how to get out of there, let me help you my love."

As soon as those words left her lips the device shuddered, sparks appeared to be shooting from the seams where the welds and rivets began to fail. Then with an almighty roar the thing flew apart. At the same time a cloud of smoke filled the room and they were plunged into choking darkness.

\--------

Just as Jackie was totting up all the things she was going to get even for a woman, dressed in a white lab coat opened the door of her cell, removed the gaffer's tape and unlocked the cuffs.

"Somebody better tell me what in the hell's going on!" Jackie shouted as she rubbed her sore wrists.

"The whole place has gone mad," the woman replied, "power going up and down like a yo-yo catastrophic system failures and no we're on lock down."

Jackie's eyes narrowed, "so why are you helping me?"

"Kevin's gone power mad, anyone who crossed his path or stuck up for Pete got punished. He wiped some people's minds, threw some in the cells or manufactured offences that got them put in jail," she sighed pushing an errant lock of hair from her forehead, "and this is the result. Some of us are releasing the people held unjustly and then are getting the hell out of here by the tunnels. Good luck!" she called as she trotted off.

"Great! Just leave me on my own!" Jackie shouted at the retreating woman, "me, helpless, and all by myself," she whinged. Then she made her way down the dark hallway hoping that the light she saw further on was an exit or at least nothing dangerous.

\--------

The Doctor finally pushed his way out of the plaster and wood that had become his burial mound. He was covered in a fine white powder that made his usually pale skin even more white, and in the dim light he looked positively ghostly.

Pete had recovered and was trying to see into the thick smoke. The Time Lord looked around and saw The Master in the observation room, feet up on the remains of the window sill and apparently taking a nap. He shook his head in wonder at this, then turned to Pete, "what did I miss?"


	31. Chapter 31

Violet dove into the rubble and pulled out John, he was unconscious and bleeding but at least he was no longer held in the machine’s grip. As she untangled him from the shards of the device she couldn’t tell if his paleness was due to the fine coating of plaster dust that coated him or something else, she prayed it was the former.

The Doctor sprung over to help her and between the two of them they got John to a chair and he started to come around.

The Master, in the meanwhile had walked, with a forced casualness, to the remains of the Apega and was examining it with great interest. Nodding and humming to himself as he poked around inside the shell.

Pete seemed to be distracted. While everyone else was busy with their discoveries, he stood in the settling silt and seemed to be searching for something with his eyes. He tried to get the other’s attentions once or twice but they seemed to be quite involved in other pursuits.

Figuring he was not going to get help from anyone Pete started shifting the piles of debris at a frantic pace. It wasn’t until a particularly large chunk of plaster hit the ground with a crash that anyone bothered to look his way.

“What are you doing?” Violet asked.

“Your..um friend? He’s was in this pod thing attached to that,” he gestured at the machine, “when it went up he disappeared.”

That brought John around immediately, he jumped up from his chair and dove into the pile helping Pete move it. Pete, although mostly focused on shifting the wreckage marvelled that his son-in-law was such a resilient creature, one moment he was barely conscious only sitting on the chair because he was being held in place and the next vigorously throwing chunks of not-exactly light material like it was nothing.

Violet ran to help too, as she knelt on the floor Pete stepped back watching them. His mind obviously working out the level of panic his step-daughter and her husband were throwing out almost like visible waves of heat.

The Doctor was watching too, but his attention was more focused on The Master who was beaming at the remains of the Apega like a proud father as he scanned it with the laser screwdriver and took notes on a small note pad.

Deciding it was time to break up this love fest he stepped between his fellow Time Lord and the machine, “why do I get the feeling that this interest does not bode well?”

“Don’t be so paranoid,” The Master replied straining to see over the taller man’s shoulder, “it’s just a fascinating bit of technology and as you know I am always interested in learning new things,” he huffed.

“And if it could possibly be replicated and used on someone you are feeling unkindly towards…”

“Banish the thought!” The Master’s eyes were wide with obviously fake outrage; the corners of his mouth were twitching as if a sly grin was fighting to come out.

The Doctor regarded him carefully his dark eyes amused but not falling for his fellow Time Lord’s theatrics, “still, I’d feel better if you came away from it.”

“But…” The Master protested as a long arm wrapped around his shoulder leading him away from the object of his interest.

Pete joined the Time Lords, “I need to ask you something.”

The Doctor held up his hand, “I know what you want to ask, and I think it’d be best if you had this conversation with Violet, not with me.”

“I’ve tried,” Pete sighed, “but she won’t answer me. Is David really an alternate dimension’s John? Can you at least answer me that?”

Before he could form his response a cry of joy rang out as David was uncovered from the debris. He seemed mostly unharmed but snow white, head to toe, and sneezing violently. Violet enfolded him, tears swimming in her eyes, in a hug as he tried to wipe the dust from his face with his equally dusty sleeve. John sat back on his knees beaming at the thin Scot and patted him a few times on the back, causing another round of sneezing as the dust rose from his clothing.

The touching scene was broken up by Jackie pushing her way into the room and thrust her considerable chest up against The Doctor, “there you all are! Thank you for coming to rescue me!” she screeched, “not like I am important or anything!”

Pete rescued the Time Lord by slipping his arm around his wife, “aww Jax, you know you’re the most important person in the world to me,” he cooed. Her face immediately softened and she smiled at him, as The Doctor sighed in relief.

Helping David to his feet John regarded him for a moment, “I don’t really remember what happened when that thing plugged me in, but somehow I have images from your childhood in my mind now….”

“And I have some of your memories,” David nodded brushing some of the larger bits of plaster from his chest and shoulders, “is that a good thing do you think?”

“I guess we’ll have to see,” John looked at Jackie, “I don’t suppose you could take her off my hands as well, I’m sure she’d love a chance to go travelling.”

“Not on your life,” David laughed, “besides now I know exactly what you think of her, and you’re welcome to her.”

“Ingrate,” John shook his head with a smile, “ah well, time to face the music.”


	32. Chapter 32

As they approached the rest of them John was examining his arms, the wires had left small marks on his skin but due to luck of the draw he possessed the Time Lord's quick healing ability, albeit slowed just a bit by his human genes, and the red dots on his normally freckled skin were almost undetectable. It was obvious by the streaks of dried blood on David's temples that the slight limp he had that he had also been plugged in, and was not as blessed.

John was about to suggest they get those wounds looked at when Jackie broke off her belly aching and whirled on them,"oh you are a right mess!" she scolded David, pulling a handkerchief from her pocket, wetting it heavily with her tongue and reached up to wipe at the blood and dust on his face.

All eyes turned to this scene, as Jackie's spit soaked rag made streaks on the stunned man's face. The Master was the first to break decorum and started laughing. He wasn't sure what was more amusing, the fact that the ridiculous woman was essentially slobbering all over the hapless mongrel or the look of wide eyed horror on his face as he withstood her onslaught.

Pete choked back his laughter and pulled Jackie away, "that's enough pet, I'm sure it'd be best if you let the lad use more conventional cleanup methods, yeah?" with that he took the handkerchief from her and placed it in his pocket.

John was fairly shaking as he tried not to burst out, and it took Violet's sharp look and even sharper elbow to his side to get him to rein it in a bit more.

The Doctor was too busy trying to retrieve Kevin to notice any of this, he had to move a few larger bits of beam but he managed to get him uncovered. The wire cage had exploded when the Apega had flown apart, which had somehow sent shards of metal in an almost perfect outline around the unconscious man.

Trying to regain a shred of dignity David resisted wiping Jackie's spit off his face, and asked, "so what happens to him now?" he gestured towards the limp form at The Doctor's feet.

"I think that's up to them," the Time Lord gestured at the Pete and Violet, "I'm sure there are laws and things..." he concluded vaguely.

Violet put her arm around David, "you've got some wounds that need tending to..." she started.

"And probably sterilised!" The Master chortled, eyes brimming with tears of laughter, "hey maybe we should boil him in water! Make a mongrel soup, bit of garlic, fresh herbs! Just add some potatoes..." he stopped when he realised everyone was now staring at him.

"Anyway..." The Doctor interjected quickly changing the subject, "let's get him down to your medical area," he nodded at David, "and take him too," he pointed at Kevin, "check them both out."

John lifted Kevin and slung him over his shoulder like a sack of dirty laundry and followed the Time Lord out of the room. Everyone fell into step, except Pete who lingered behind. He pulled the handkerchief Jackie had used on David out of his pocket and held it to the light. The few smears of blood on it would be enough, he noted with some satisfaction, to run tests on, and find out once and for all who this mysterious man really was. Folding the square of material carefully, blood stains inside, he placed it back in his pocket and trotted to catch up with the others.

Once they reached the clinic John dumped his burden with a load thump on one of the examination tables. The sound of the man's head hitting the bare metal made David wince. He knew the guy was a jerk, and everything but it seemed a bit much to just slam him down like that. John caught his expression and shrugged, "it's not like he felt that," he explained, "he's out cold."

"I know..." David replied, "but still..."

"He's a piece of garbage that deserves to be bundled up in a bin bag, weighted with stones and thrown into a river," Jackie offered.

"David's right," The Doctor cut in, "I'm sure there are better ways to deal with him besides tossing him about like a rag doll. Be the better person," he shot a look at John.

They seemed to get into a staring match for a moment, but then Violet stepped in between them, "let's drop that for now," she took her husband's arm, leading him away from the Time Lord. He didn't protest as she did so, but did have to fight the urge to stick his tongue out at The Doctor over her shoulder.

Walking over to a cupboard Violet pulled out a set of white medical scrubs, and a towel. Handing both to David she pointed out a small bathroom, "there's a shower in there, get cleaned up and when you come back we'll see about those wounds."

"Why don't you just lick him clean, like your mum started to do?" The Master chuckled, "I thought that's how all human..." he broke off with a cry of pain as John stomped on his foot, glaring at him.

"Off," Violet commanded, pushing the actor towards the bathroom. Once he stepped inside she turned around and saw Pete staring at her.


	33. Chapter 33

Pete waited until the two Times Lords were talking off in a corner and Jackie was regaling her recent adventures to John and Violet before pulling the handkerchief from his pocket and taking it to a small scanner-like device. Placing the square on it, he looked around to be sure no one was watching him, and then turned back to the paper that was now scrolling out of the small printer attached to the machine.

Giving it a quick glance he nodded his head, as if whatever the print out said didn't come as a shock to him, then he slipped both the paper and the handkerchief back into his pocket, and then rejoined the others.

By the time he reached his wife, his son-in-law was making faces behind her back, as Violet was trying not to laugh. Pete was about to take the young couple aside for a serious chat when Kevin woke up.

He looked around the room, seeing all eyes were on him, and seemed to shrink as if he were trying to make himself as small as possible. "What are you going to do to me?" he finally gasped out, his face a mask of pure misery.

"I thought about that carefully," Pete smiled at him, "and I think we have the perfect solution..."

"And that is?"

"You have lost your Torchwood privileges, I figure you worked here, what four years? We will give you a dose of retcon and 'poof' no more memories of us or anything that went on during that time frame," Pete snapped his fingers, and John handed him two pills and a glass of water.

"You can't do that!" Kevin protested.

"If I had my way, everything you planned to do to me," John snarled, "we would do to you. Cut you open and see what makes you tick...."

Seeing the dark look in the man's eyes made Kevin go cold, he knew that it wasn't just an idle threat, if Pete didn't stop him, this man would indeed tear him apart.

"Of course," Violet offered, "we believe in free will, so it's your decision," she took the pills from Pete and extended them on her open palm to the frightened man, "either you take these or we'll let him," she pointed at her husband, "carry out his plan. Up to you."

Kevin's eyes scanned the others, hoping that someone would be his champion but realised that to a person, no one was willing to grant him mercy. With a sigh, he squared his shoulders and took the pills from Violet's outstretched hand. Pete handed him the glass of water and he gulped them down.

"Now what happens?" he asked, his voice almost a shaky whisper.

"You'll go to sleep, when you wake up, you'll be safe in your own flat, which my people are sanitising now," Pete explained, "removing any trace of your current life but you will still be the snivelling little wretch you always were. Just not my problem anymore."

The Doctor had been listening, standing on the sidelines and waiting for the right moment to speak up, "now that this is wrapped up, we should probably get going..." he started.

"Before you do," Violet looked meaningfully at The Master, "he'd better empty his pockets, I think he has half of our weapons stashed away!"

"How does he fit all that in there?" Pete asked.

"Like the TARDIS," The Doctor smiled, "they're bigger on the inside." Then turning to his fellow Time Lord he said, "OK empty them."

"But...." The Master protested folding his arms protectively around his chest as he backed away.

"I've got a great idea," John offered, "how about we keep him for a bit, take him off your hands, and put him to work?"

"Doing what?" both Time Lords asked at the same time.

"Helping us identify some of the very items he has squirrelled away in those brimming pockets," John replied with a laugh, "of course he will be monitored the entire time. We'll keep the stasis collar's controls and one of us will always be nearby."

"He could just lie and tell us something's a hair dryer when it's a gun and vice versa," Violet protested.

"Easy that," John put his arm around his wife's shoulder, "if he says it's a hair dryer, we'll have him demonstrate it, on himself!"

"Why, in Rassilon's name, would I help you?" The Master snorted.

"Because I have the bracelet," Violet held up her arm, "and it's about time you did something constructive."

The Master looked appealing at The Doctor, "surely you wouldn't..." he started to stay. Then seeing the delighted expression on his face he stopped, "I hate you," he hissed.

"No kidding," The Doctor laughed, then turning to John clapped him on the back, "capital idea! I love it. It'll give David and I some time to travel on our own. Give us a rest from him," he jerked his head at the scowling Master, "and who knows, you may get to like each other."

"I wouldn't count on that," Violet smiled widely.

Just then David emerged from the shower, clean, still slight damp and almost swimming in the scrubs he had on, "what did I miss?" he asked as he saw Kevin passed out on the bed.

"The Master is going to work for us," Violet explained, "unpaid, of course, for a bit."

"Lucky me," the Time Lord growled.

"And you and I are going to pick a destination, at random, and hopefully get to relax and enjoy ourselves..." The Doctor added, then frowned, "although it never seems to work out that way..." he mumbled to himself, barely loud enough for anyone else to hear.


End file.
